


Before You Called Me Baby

by totally_magneato



Category: Deadpool (Movieverse), Deadpool - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Daddy Kink, Domestic Violence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Metal kink, Mixed Signals, NSFW, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Pansexual Wade Wilson, Past Domestic Violence, Slow Burn, based on a playlist, unlikely friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-06-11 05:16:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 31,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15308301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totally_magneato/pseuds/totally_magneato
Summary: After her past comes back to haunt her, Maggie, unlikely friend of Wade Wilson, finds herself falling in love with the grizzled time traveler who saved her life. But the past (and the future) don't seem able to keep their noses out of the present, and Maggie finds a potential relationship with Nathan Summers worth fighting for. But is it worth dying for?





	1. When The Day Met The Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Uthenera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uthenera/gifts).



> For the sake of easier writing, I've gone ahead and named the reader's character. Maggie Fremont, mutant, 23-ish. She's got the ability to manipulate fear and panic. Kind of punky, chubby, generally has a smart mouth. More character development in later chapters. Feedback would be nice ^_^

The pounding in you head was either a killer hangover, or it was Wade. And as the knocking persisted at you front door, you had the sneaking suspicion that it was Wade. Who else would be at you door at, what time was it? You grumbled, sitting up to look you alarm clock. At 10:15 in the morning. You were absolutely going to fucking him. You pulled an oversized shirt over your panties, stomping to the door and groaning. Yanking the door open, you weren't surprised to see Wade. 

"You're alive, sugar plum! I thought you were dead!" 

Jesus Christ, was he always this loud? You had a feeling that he might be, but this hangover wasn't any sort of joke, and his voice seemed to bounce around inside your skull. Oh, you hated him this morning. Wade pushed past you into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge as if he lived here. You didn't want to think too much on that, because if you did, you'd realize that yes, Wade basically lived here. It hadn't happened on purpose, but when Vanessa had died, he'd started coming around more than he had when she was alive. You hadn't minded so much when Vanessa was alive, because at least then Wade would go home. Now he seemed to spend the night, and when he wasn't spending the night, he was right back on your doorstep at some ungodly fucking hour.  He was yammering on about something, but you didn't bother listening. 

"Wade. Wade.  _Douchecanoe!_ " Your hand came up, cradling your head as you raised your voice. His head popped up comically from behind the fridge door. "What do you want, Wade?" 

"I thought you were dead. It's so  _late."_

"Wade, it's not even noon yet."

"Well how else was I supposed to invite you to the super-secret X-Force pool party?" 

"It's not super-secret if you blab about it, asshole." You'd been over to the mansion a few times, but not ever for a long period of time. You usually were there just long enough to grab Wade and Neena and go clubbing. 

"Hurry up, Lisbeth Salander. Swim suit, let's go. We can you coffee on the way. You have no food." 

"Did you just compare me to Lisbeth Salander?"

"You act just like her, my cranky, anti-social angel."

"Wade? Shut the fuck up."

"Sure thing, gummi worm." 

"Oh my god." 

You disappeared into your bedroom, digging your swimsuit out of your closet. It was a simple black number, a bikini that Vanessa had convinced you to by, after much insisting that you looked just fine. You were chubby, and before Vanessa, your self-confidence had been rubbish. You pulled shorts over your bottoms, and threw a black tanktop on over the top. You pulled your socks and boots on, grumbling as you took a couple Advil with a bottle of water that drunk you had been nice enough to leave next to the alarm clock. 

"Ready?" 

"You're buying the espresso, Wade." 

At the mansion, you hopped out of the car before Wade could even turn it off. The sooner you got away from him, the sooner you got a moment of silence. Wade had talked the entire trip, and as you let yourself in, you were glad for the quiet. You headed straight to the kitchen, the smell of coffee luring you. Russell was sitting at the island, eating some kind of sugary cereal. 

"Shit will rot your teeth, kiddo," you greeted him, ruffling his hair as you passed. You pulled a mug from the cabinet, spooning copious amounts of sugar into the cup, until a scoff from the doorway tore you from your delight. "You're gonna lecture him about rotting his teeth when your coffee is mostly sugar?" You turned towards the voice, and were once again impressed by Cable's ability to fill a doorway. Your eyes widened a bit, but you flashed him a large grin. 

"He can  _talk_!" You gasped, sticking your tongue out at him. You had met Cable on a couple of occasions, but that had truly been the most you'd ever heard him say. He flipped you the finger, and you winked before turning back to your coffee, holding the mug up to inhale. 

"Where's shit for brains?"

"Hopefully talking to someone else," you said, a little too aggressively, "Bastard tried to kill me last night." 

Russell looked up, his eyes wide, "Wade tried to kill you last night?" 

"Tequila is the devil, kiddo. Don't ever fall victim to its seductive ways."  

Cable made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, and you looked up to find the corners of his mouth were twisted upwards. You made to open your mouth and say something else, but before you could, he had rolled his eyes and left, quickly replaced with Neena. She squealed when she saw you, and you screwed you eyes up tight. "Hangover, Dom," you said gently. She came over to you, giving you a kiss on the cheek. Of course she didn't have a hangover. Neena never had hangovers. She was just lucky like that.

"You're swimming with us, right, Maggie? Wade said he was going to get someone, but we honestly thought it was going to be Dopinder." 

"Which would surprise absolutely nobody," you mumbled. 

"I heard that, Maggie!" Wade called from another room. 

"You were supposed to, sugar tits!" You called back. You could hear Wade's audible gasp and groaned. 

"Was that a  _cute pet name_ , Maggie?!"

"Oh, great. Now he's going to think I like him."

But you did like Wade. He was sort of like an obnoxious big brother. Actually, that was probably not the best comparison to make, because half the time he was trying to get you naked. The other half, you were contemplating killing him. That aside, the two of you got along pretty well. You enjoyed a lot of the same things, and you made a point to spend time with him when he had free time. Most Saturdays he would come over, you'd order Chinese food, and paint each other's toenails. It wasn't much, but it was some quality time that you felt he desperately needed.

You spent the early afternoon helping Neena bake, and eventually the two of you made your way out to the pool. You could hear Wade talking, because of course he was talking. Why wouldn’t he be? There was music pumping from a speaker up on the roof, and something shiny reflected sunlight directly into your eyes. You squinted against the brightness, and felt your heart flutter a bit in your chest. You’d never seen Cable shirtless before, but you let an appreciative moan out at the site now.

“Girl, you have got it bad,” Neena whispered, nudging you in the ribs.

“Fuck off, just know a good looking man when I see one,” you grumbled. Truth be told, you did have it bad. Kind of. Cable was mysterious and intriguing. You knew nothing about him except that he came from the future. There was so much more that you wanted to know. Like what the hand would feel like against your throat or between your thighs. 

You made your way over to him, eyeing the cooler.

“Cable, you’ve met The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, right?”

“Oh, blow me, Wade,” you snapped, halting a few feet away. Cable looked up and grunted, acknowledging you. Your eyes flicked pointedly down to the beer in his hand, and he followed your gaze, reaching into the cooler to grab you a can. He tossed it at you, and you were pleased you caught it.

“You have some good reflexes, doll. You ever throw knives?”

You lowered the can down from your mouth, looking at him warily. “No?”

“You should give it a shot sometime. Think we could get you real good at it.”

Wade gasped, “Are you flirting with Maggie?!”

“Shut the fuck up, Wade,” the two of you said at the same time. You smirked, taking another drink of beer and turning to talk to Ellie and Yukio.

After a few drinks, you were starting to feel a bit playful. The summer sun beating down, you slipped out of your boots and socks, padding over to where Cable was sitting. You set your boots down next to the chair beside him. “Don’t let anyone touch my boots. Don’t you touch my boots either,” you warned, pointing at him. “I’ll cut your fucking hand off.” He raised an eyebrow, waiting for you to say more as you undid your shorts and shimmied out of them. You peeled the tank top off next, tossing it next to your boots.

You looked at Cable, pointedly looking over at Wade next. Cable cocked his head, eyes questioning. All you did was wink in response, before barreling at Wade, stood by the edge of the pool, and tackling him into the water.

You hit the water, Wade shouting. He was still in his regular clothes, and as he dragged himself out of the pool complaining about it, you threw your head back, laughter pouring out unchecked. “You should see your face, Wade!”

“You’re not a nice person, Maggie!” Wade shouted, heading inside to change. You felt eyes on you, and you turned your head, your eyes making contact with Cable’s. He was watching you intensely, his left eye glinting, even in the bright sunlight. You licked your lips, your throat suddenly going dry.

A splash to your right indicated that Neena had jumped into the pool, and you were grateful for the distraction.

As you discussed a game of chicken, though, you could still feel Nathan’s eyes on you, and for the first time in a long time, you were suddenly self conscious. You usually didn't care what people thought about you, but there was something about the way Cable looked at you that made your skin feel too tight. 

It had finally gotten quiet. Everyone had long since gone to bed as the night got later, and before you knew it, it was three in the morning. You and Cable sat side by side, and you realized that the two of you hadn’t said anything to each other in what felt like hours. As far as you knew, it  _had_   been hours.

You looked over at him, unable to keep yourself from smiling. He felt you staring, and turned his head to look at you. He looked mildly irritated.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just. It’s quiet. It’s nice.”

Cable grunted his response, and you turned your attention back to the still pool.

“How do you know Wade? You don’t seem the type to put up with his shit.”

You eyed Cable carefully, unsure just how much you should divulge. Sighing, you finally began, “I lived downstairs from him and Vanessa. I frequent Lady Margaret’s a lot. Just sort of ended up friends, I suppose. When ‘Nessa died, I spent even more time in that dingy fucking hole. Someone had to keep Wade’s panic and fear in check.”

“And how exactly did you manage that?”

“You don’t know?”

“For having such a big mouth, Wilson says surprisingly little about you.”

“That’s…that’s my gig.” You smiled sheepishly, but the look on Cable’s face told you he didn’t quite get it. “My, uh, power, if you want to call it that. My super-duper magical mutant ability.”

Cable snorted.

“It’s fuckin’ useless, though. Can’t create fear or panic, can just manipulate it. Can’t even adjust it in myself. Just others.”

“You helped a friend. That sound useless to you, kid?” He wasn’t looking at you, but he sounded so sincere it almost hurt.

“Wade says you have nightmares sometimes.”

“I’m gonna cut out his fuckin’ tongue and fe–”

“No, no. It’s okay. It’s not my business. Just, y'know. If it’s ever so bad you can’t fall back asleep or you feel like you might suffocate, feel free to give me a call. I’ll help.”

For a moment, he simply looked at you, and the intensity of his gaze made your scalp prickle. “Thanks.” It was gruff, a short response, but you knew he was genuinely thankful. You stood up slowly, stretching.

“I’m going to go make sure Wade left some sweatpants out for me. Uh, any chance I can borrow one of your shirts? I’d ask Neena or Wade, but,” you gestured at your chest and stomach.

“But what?”

“I…I’m too big to fit their shirts.” You shrugged, feeling a little bit defeated.

“Yeah, doll, no problem.”

Cable rose slowly and followed you, the two of you going quietly into the house. Wade had left sweatpants on the back of the couch for you, and Cable beckoned you to follow him upstairs. In his room, he handed you a large grey shirt. You turned your back to him, gesturing to the string across your back. You hadn’t untied it the last time you’d gone swimming, so the knot was almost impossible to undo.

You felt the cool brush of metal across your spine, and when the strings tickled your hips, you pulled it up over your head, back still to him as you pulled the shirt he gave you down.

You were delighted to find that it was large, you were almost swimming in it. “Thanks, Cable.”

You headed back downstairs, getting comfortable on the couch before finding yourself almost immediately asleep.

It couldn’t have been long after you fell asleep, but the sensation of panic built up in your chest. You couldn’t recall any nightmares, but still, it was there, crushing you, smothering you.

“Maggie.”

It was choked out, and you bolted up right to find Cable sitting on the floor next to the couch. He sounded as though he had been crying, and you realized that feeling in your chest was coming from him. You had a feeling that this was a side of him nobody got to see, and as you tugged him up on the couch to sit between your legs, you felt honored.

You adjusted your position, leaning back and pulling him with you so that his back was against your chest. He resisted, his body rigid, but you smoothed your hands across his hair and down his neck, whispering.

“Cable, it’s okay, really. Come on, let me help. Please, let me help, for fuck’s sake, Cable, it _hurts_.” You were referring to the increasing pressure in your chest, recognizing it as the start of a panic attack.

You finally managed to get him to relax against you, and you focused your energy on him, fingers brushing carefully through his hair, down the back of his neck, across his shoulders and upper arms.

The feeling in your chest began to subside, and you noticed Cable’s breathing was growing steadier.

“Maggie?” He sounded exhausted now.

“Hmm?”

“If I stay here, will I dream again?”

“If you do, I’ll be here to help.”

“You won’t go anywhere?”

You noticed that the man leaned against your chest was a broken man, someone so plagued by nightmares he was terrified to be alone with his thoughts. It was so different from the Cable you saw during the day, it caught you off guard.

“I’m not going anywhere, Cable.” You were tired now, using your powers while exhausted just drained you more.

From your chest, you heard a sleepy murmur, “It’s Nathan.”


	2. Glory And Gore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie struggles with memories, while Wade fills everyone in on why a sudden soft side of him came out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so basically, I name all these chapters after songs I have on the Spotify playlist for this fic. If anyone is interested, I can definitely go ahead and post a link to it. Also, you can find me over on tumblr as totally-magneato, where I accept requests for Cable imagines. 
> 
> WARNING: Mentions of domestic violence, which eventually becomes a heavy plot point. And by heavy, I mean. Heavy heavy.

You woke when a flash went off directly above you, and it seemed it woke Cable, too. The two of you sat up immediately, and then things moved all at once. Cable grabbed someone by the throat, metal hand moving surprisingly quick, and you punched the perpetrator in the face.

“Holy fuck,” Russel’s voice was suspiciously high pitched, and as you blinked the sleep out of your eyes, you saw Cable still gripping Wade’s throat.

“I was just gonna put it on my Instagram, daddy, don’t spank me,” even while being strangled, Wade still managed to make wisecracks. Cable growled and his hand tightened. Well, that certainly put a couple images in your mind. In fact, you were a little bit jealous of Wade in this moment, with Cable's hand curled tight around his throat. You wondered what it'd feel like to have his hand around  _your_ neck.

You set your hand on his shoulder, marveling at the feel of the cool metal underneath your hand, “He’s a dick, but he’s harmless. I think.” You shot Wade a dangerous look, and Cable finally let him go.

“So what did you two do last night?” Wade asked, voice so sickeningly innocent while waggling his eyebrows that you wanted to hit him again. Cable had moved to the end of the couch, and looked ready to say something, so you blurted the first thing you could think of.

“I…had another nightmare last night.”

Wade looked a bit skeptical.

“About. Well, about him. I guess I was crying. Cable came and woke me up, and I asked him to sit with me. You know, I’m just about useless when it comes to my own,” your hands fluttered uselessly by your sides as you felt the panic rising in your chest. Cable looked at you, brows furrowing in concern as your breathing got heavier.

“Jesus, sweetheart. He can’t hurt you anymore, I promise. None of us will let him.” Sometimes Wade could be surprisingly sweet and serious, and this was one of those moments. His face had softened, and you were so grateful in that moment for him. It would appear nobody had ever seen Wade be thoughtful, and the silence pressed heavily around you. You were embarrassed, not wanting anyone to ask anymore questions.

“I g-gotta go. Don’t worry, I’ll call Dopinder. Bye guys. Thanks, Cable.”

You left the mansion, not noticing until you were home you had left your clothes, swim suit, and even your boots. You groaned, wishing you could just forget the lie you had made up. You didn't want to dwell on the past anymore. 

* * *

 

Everyone had still stood awkwardly in the living room, unsure what had just happened. Russel looked confused as hell, and Wade watched the shadow cross over Domino’s face as she realized exactly what you and Wade had been talking about.

“What the fuck was that?” Cable asked, and Wade grimaced.

“Not my place to tell you, man. Not sure she’d want me telling you, anyway.”

“Wade, if someone is hurting her, we need to do something,” Neena said fiercely. Russel blanched.

“No, no. She’s not hurting anymore. Well, she is, but not because of fuckface anymore. Well, she is, but–”

“Wilson.”

“Sorry, sorry. Uhhhh, so, snickerdoodle cookie had this boyfriend thing. Insisted he was great, all the time. Vanessa noticed it first, the bruises. Maggie was so good at hiding them. I don’t think it happened all at once, either. I don’t know for sure what had happened, but Vanessa told me there’d been a fight. A huge one. Could hear it through the fucking _floor_.”

Wade trailed off, pain flicking across his face. “We didn’t hear anything for a while after that. No fights, nothin’. Vanessa got worried, said Maggie hadn’t answered phone calls or texts. Or even the door. Which, if you’ve met her, you know there would have been at least one aggressive comment. But nope,” he popped the p sound before continuing. “So she sends me down to check. Door is bolted shut. I knew because I had a key to the place. She never bolted that door. Ever. So I broke in.”

Wade stopped talking, and nobody bother filling the silence until Russel finally spoke up.

“What-what happened? What’d you find?”

Wade offered the kid a sad smile, “At first? Nothing. Looked the same as it always did. But my spidey-senses were tingling, so I checked the bedroom.”

“Fuck,” Cable groaned, deciding immediately that he no longer wanted to hear this story. “You can shut up now, Wilson.”

“Sorry big daddy, but now you need to hear the rest of it. She was chained to the bed. But not like, in the fun way. She was chained to a leg, that wrapped around up the bed post, too. But not, on the bed. She was on the floor. It was so short she couldn’t even manage to get  _on_ the bed. Her face looked like it had been broken. Her cheekbone was that nasty green color.”

Domino gagged as she collapsed into a chair in the corner.

“He’d had her there for, I don’t know. Six days? When I got there. He was at work, but there she was, broken and quiet. She was afraid to even talk without permission. He…was a literal sack of human shit, and that’s in comparison to me.”

“What’d you do?”

“Got her the fuck out of there. Made Vanessa come home from work, had her take Maggie upstairs and keep her there. Then I waited for him to come back. He hasn’t been around since, but she’s…not great.”

Silence fell on the room, and Wade noticed Cable’s metal hand opening and closing. “She’s a good kid,” Cable grumbled, and Wade thought he saw Russell crying. Should have known better than to say it in front of the kid, but it was too late to do anything about it now. 

* * *

 

You went back to the Mansion a few days later, intending to get your clothes. You let yourself in, and found Cable in the kitchen with Neena. You smiled weakly at them, and Cable’s cybernetic eye flared as he studied you. “Hi. I, uh, just wanted my clothes back?”

Cable looked at you a moment longer, and left in a hurry, not exchanged any words with you. “What the shit is his problem?” You asked Neena, concerned. Cable hadn't been one for many words, ever, but you had honestly thought the two of you had broken that pattern, forming an unlikely friendship. 

“Oh, honey. Wade told us everything,” she pulled you into a tight hug, and the sheer heartbreak evident in her voice had you crying into her shoulder immediately, broken sobs causing the tightness to expand in your chest faster than normal.

“N-n-Neena,” you gasped, hands clinging to her shoulders for purchase.

“Don’t worry, Maggie, you’re not alone,” the two of you sunk to the floor, her arms around you tightly. “Come on, honey, you got to breathe. You’re okay, you’re safe here, I promise.”

She whispered quickly in your ear, and you felt your breathing regulate, despite the fact you were still crying. Boots on the floor alerted you to someone else in the kitchen, and you glanced up to see Cable with your clothes folded neatly, boots placed delicately on top. You groaned, embarrassed that anyone had to see you this way, especially Cable. 

You buried your face in Neena’s shoulder again, a quiet wail tearing from your chest. You missed the look shared between Cable and Neena, and you probably would have been grateful. Neena’s eyes held pity, and what might have once been pity in Cable’s eyes was now anger, his cybernetic eyes flaring brightly. 


	3. Hypnotic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie invites Nathan over to beat the Saturday blues, but has a nasty run in with her ex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Graphic depictions of violence. Domestic Abuse. Seriously, heavy shit in this chapter. Some fluff, too, but mostly angst and violence.

It was weird. You’d been to the Mansion a few times in the last couple weeks, and whenever you had tried to say anything to Cable, he had avoided you. He avoided eye contact, avoided speaking to you, and even avoided being in the same room as you. It bothered you, at least partially. You had thought you were forming some sort of friendship with the older man, but it appeared you had been mistaken.

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon, and you were fucking bored. Which was nothing new, really. But here you were. You picked your cell phone, and debated briefly about texting Wade before deciding just to call him. Wade didn’t have the attention span for texting.

It rang twice, and when it was finally picked up, you started talking before Wade could say anything, “Hey big guy. I’m bored as fuck. Come over, we can paint our toenails and order Chinese food and watch Beaches.”

“Maggie?”

You blanched, “Nath–Cable?”

“You let that dickweasel paint your toenails?”

“You know how to use a cell phone?” You countered, “Aren’t you like, kind of old for that?” You heard him grunt, and quickly started talking again before he could hang up, “Wait, wait, wait, please. Where’s Wade?”

“They took the kid to a theme park.”

“Oh. Well, uh. If you’re not busy do _you_ want to come over and order Chinese food?”

“And watch Beaches?” You thought you heard amusement in his voice.

“We can watch Titanic, if that’s more your thing. I don’t know, I have a bunch of movies. Your choice?”

Silence on the other end scared you, and you assumed he’d hung up. But you waited with baited breath, and your patience was rewarded.

“What time?”

“Uhhh, does eight work for you? I need a nap and a shower.”

“Fine.”

He hung up then, and you felt a giddy sort of happiness floating up to your brain. You crawled onto your bed, hoping to get a decent nap in. The idea of spending time with Cable, alone, filled you with a sort of strange joy. You wanted to get to know him better, and this might be the perfect opportunity to actually do so. 

You woke, but you were confused. Your alarm hadn’t gone off at all, but still, something had woke you and it wasn’t the setting sun coming through the window. But what was it?

You sat up carefully, senses screaming. As it happened, you probably should have been actually screaming.

“Ian?”

“Hey, babe. Who’s Nathan?” He was holding the paper bag you left on the counter, the one that had Nathan’s laundered shirt, with a small thank you note and your phone number.

“He’s just…he’s a friend.”

You felt the fear scurrying into your limbs, making you slow. You had tried to scramble to your feet, but Ian’s backhand caught you first, knocking you from the bed.

“You always were a lying whore, Maggie. Think your mother knew that when she named you Magdalena?”

You grit your teeth as he stood, hitting you again. You spat blood out, rising to your feet by sheer force alone.

“Get the fuck out of my house, Ian.”

“Who the fuck said you could get up?” He grabbed a fistful of your hair, throwing you back to the floor. Your forehead hit the bed frame, and you almost lost consciousness as the blood started cascading down your face into your eyes. You'd forgotten how much head wounds bled. 

“Gonna fuckin’ kill you this time, fuckface,” you managed, making another attempt to get up.

A fierce kick to the stomach put you right back down, gasping for air. A second kick followed immediately after, landing squarely in your ribs. Pain exploded behind your eyes, and you knew he had broken at least one of them.

“You stupid bitch. You think anyone could love you but me? You think anyone would love your fat ass? No, Maggie. I’m not letting you lie to me anymore,” you heard the clink of metal as he undid his belt, and seven thousand horrible possibilities rose in your throat in the form of bile.

None of those things happened, but you almost had rather they did. He brought the belt down on your back, the noise as the leather met skin reminding you of the sound a whip made. You cried out as pain, white hot, blossomed across your shoulders. You felt warm liquid trickling, and you knew he’d split skin, like an overripe fruit. You had a feeling he was winding up to hit you again, and the second one came down almost directly on the first one. This was nothing new for you. This had been his regular punishment when you were together. He caught you smoking? Belt. He caught you at the bar? Belt. You looked at him wrong? Belt. It had usually split skin, and you had some scars to prove it. Ian liked scars. Liked to leave blood everywhere and then fuck you gentle, telling you he did it for his own good. And you had actually believed him at one point. The pain was unbearable, and it was a struggle to keep yourself conscious. 

“If you hit her again, you’re gonna lose that entire goddamn arm.”

You thought for sure you were dreaming now, Cable couldn’t be here, not already. Could he? What time was it?

“Who the hell are you?” You thought you heard fear in Ian’s voice, and you sent your power out in a burst, making that fear almost unbearable for him. It was palpable now.

“I’m the new guy.”

There were scuffling noises, and you heard a sickening snap before the door slammed shut. Strong hands lifted you gingerly from the floor. “Where’s your bathroom, kid?”

Your head lolled in that direction, and even as he started the shower, he didn’t set you down. “Gonna undress you, doll. Gotta get that blood off.” Your head was splitting so all you managed was a weak nod. In other circumstances, the idea of Cable undressing you might have been enjoyable. 

You weren’t entirely sure you were conscious until the hot water hit you, and you hissed. “Fuck me.”

Cable chuckled, "Nah, kid, not today," lifting your hair off your shoulders and tipping your head forward, cool metal offering a shocking contrast against the warm water as he gently brushed his fingers over the split on your back. “Head back now,” he gently tugged on your hair, switching hands so his metal one held your hair and his human fingers gently eased water over your face.

“Fuckin’ hurts,” you griped.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think either of these are gonna stop bleeding unless we stitch ‘em. What hospital–”

“Medicine cabinet. You do it. Not explaining it to them again.”

Cable growled at the again, and he picked you up from the shower, your naked body drenching his shirt. “You sure?” He asked, voice gentle as he wrapped you in a towel. You nodded, before hissing in pain again. “Yeah, alright.”

“Absinthe in the freezer.”

“Absinthe? Jesus,” he left the bathroom, coming back and offering you the bottle while he rummaged through your medicine cabinet. “Why the fuck do you even have all this shit?” He asked.

You swallowed heavily, “Wade,” his name left both your lips at the same time, and you chuckled. Cable stood between your legs then, muttering an apology as he stitched both your forehead and your shoulder. He tilted your chin up towards him, turning your head this way and that, making sure your split lip didn’t need stitched too.

“You’re good, kid. Let me get you some clothes, wash that blood up. Where–”

“Underwear is in the top drawer of my dresser.”

You wiped the blood off your face carefully, and when Cable came back in, you offered him a tired smile in the mirror. “Wanna get my back?” It was a hesitant inquiry, but he took the towel from you, offering you a large tee-shirt and a pair of blue boy-briefs. “Thank you.”

You managed to get the panties on without issue, but pulling a shirt on was harder. Cable grabbed your wrist, stopping you before helping you into the shirt. It stopped just below your hips.

“Didn’t want you ripping those stitches, he offered.”

“This is your shirt.”

“Looks better on you.”

“Ha!” The two of you jumped at the loudness of your voice. “I find that highly doubtful.”

You grabbed the bottle of absinthe, and settled down onto your couch, careful not to hit your back too hard. You rummaged around on the coffee table, offering Cable the menu. “Get what you want, my treat. There’s beer in the fridge.”

Twenty five minutes later, you were cross-legged on the couch next to Cable, starting Snatch. You picked unenthusiastically at your chicken. You glanced up at him when you felt him watching you. “You alright?” He was looking at you, face etched with concern. 

“Thank you.”

“For what?” He snorted.

“Saving my life.”

He didn’t say anything, just watched you for a minute. You looked away, sheepish again. “Not a problem.”

“How’d you even get here?”

“You weren’t answering your phone. I was gonna ask if you wanted me to bring beer. I came over, but the door was already open.”

“Your timing is impeccable.”

He shrugged, and you smiled, cursing as it tugged at your split lip. Half way through the movie, your food finally gone, you had started dozing off. Cable had risen from the couch, gently, so as not to disturb you. He picked you up carefully, carrying you to the bedroom and setting you down, not bothering to cover you up.

He went to walk away, but your hand closely snugly around his fingers.In your haze, you barely realized it was his human hand and the fingers curled around your own.

“Nathan?”

“Right here, kid.”

“Please…please stay with me. Don’t wanna be alone. ’M scared.” You tugged weakly, pulling him back towards the bed.

“Alright darlin’. I won’t go anywhere.”

The bed dipped as he sat down next to you, and you scooted over to accommodate him. You wrapped your arms around his metal one, resting your forehead against the coolness of it. He watched you in awe as you settled down so easily next to him. He wasn’t used to people accepting his arm so readily, let alone cuddling up next to it.

“Thanks, Nate,” you whispered, and promptly fell asleep. And that was where he stayed, holding completely still so as not to disturb you. When it seemed as though you were growing restless, he would reach up and smooth your hair, and you would still again.

For the first time in a long time, you had no nightmares.


	4. Can't Help Falling in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie tells Nathan the full story, and he decides to stay for a couple of days. The domesticity of Nathan staying with her for a few days leaves Maggie with butterflies in her stomach, and she ponders her new-found feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! A little bit of heavy stuff in this chapter, but nothing like the last one. Lots of fluff and domesticity here. This was all written on Tumblr, up to Chapter Six/Seven (I condensed chapters one and two into a single chapter here). So, there's a bunch just sitting on my laptop that I'm uploading.

When you woke up, you were a little shocked to find there was someone in bed with you. Last night’s events slowly came back to you, and you grimaced when you remembered he stitched you up. You felt sick, knowing that he had seen you at your weakest, had seen the kind of control Ian had had over you.

Gingerly you climbed out of bed, careful not to wake Cable. You went to the bathroom, grateful that you hadn’t made any kind of noise loud enough to disturb him. After everything he had done for you yesterday, he deserved some kind of sleep. You shut your bedroom door behind you, standing absentmindedly in your kitchen for a moment. Breakfast sounded good, everyone liked breakfast. Well, you hoped everyone liked breakfast. As far as you knew, the time Cable came from didn’t even  _have_  breakfast. 

You still set about making the meal anyway, decided a larger spread would be the better option. You weren’t sure what he’d want to eat, so you settled on pancakes with blueberry syrup, and a protein scramble. Bacon, sausage, onions, potatoes, eggs, and some aged cheddar. You had some orange juice, with pulp, which you knew wasn’t the most popular kind of orange juice, but that’s why you kept stocked on it. Less for Wade to steal when he came over. You set about making a pot of the strongest coffee you could, hoping that it would somehow breathe life into your tired veins. 

“Smells good,” a voice grumbled from behind you, and you spun, so lost in your own thoughts you hadn’t heard the bedroom door open. 

“I, uh, made you breakfast,” you offered, flushing. He looked so good in the morning, it was unfair. His hair was mussed up just enough, and even though he was normally so alert, you noted his limbs moved with a lazy sort of grace in the mornings. “As a sort of thank you, for last night.” Something about seeing him this way felt intimate, and you were blushing again, looking away. 

You gestured to the table, which you’d only just set a few minutes before, and motioned for him to sit down and help himself. He did, and when the coffee was finished you poured him a cup, setting it in front of him. He looked suspiciously at you as you shoveled sugar into your own. 

“If you put that much sugar—”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t. Black. Seem like a real simple kinda guy.” 

“That  _really_  isn’t good for your teeth.” 

“Shut up and eat your breakfast.” 

“Wanna tell me about that stupid cunt who had the balls to kick the shit out of you in your own house?”  
  
“ _No._ I don’t. Wade told you what he knew already, and that’s the long and short of it, but I guess you deserve an explanation. The  _whole_  explanation.”

“Kid, if you don’t want to talk about it…”

“No, it’s okay. It’s probably time to talk about it.” You shrugged, feigning nonchalance before finishing your coffee. You stood to fix another cup, and you felt Cable watching as you added a finger of whiskey. He said nothing, and you were grateful. This would not be an easy story to tell.   
  
“I met Ian at the library. I know, he doesn’t really seem the bookish type. I couldn’t even tell you what I was doing at the library that day, but he knew right away I was mutant. I never asked how he knew, didn’t care. But he praised me up and down, made me feel like I mattered for the first time in my life.Worshiped the ground I walked on. At least for the first few months.” You stopped talking, unconsciously reaching up to finger the cheekbone he had broken. “He got…weird, I guess, after that. Started saying the same shit my father used to say when he found out. Apparently, being a mutant wasn’t the best thing. Only used my full name.” 

“Your full name?”

“It’s…Magdalena. Mom was real religious.” 

Cable blinked at you, and you shrugged again. “He got violent after a while. If he had any idea that I’d used my powers, he’d hit me. Even if he didn’t know, he’d hit me. It went on a few months more, I thought I deserved it.”

“Jesus Christ, what you could you possibly have fucking deserved that for?” 

“Existing?” You posed it as a question, since you still weren’t entirely sure why you had felt you deserved it, only that you did. Cable’s cybernetic eye flared, and you looked away. You felt guilty. “Vanessa noticed the bruises before Wade did. They tried to run a sort of intervention. I told them it wasn’t really a problem, it only happened when we were drinking. Then, well, you already know what happened then. Wade told you. Turns out he knew I was a mutant because he had been stalking me for a while.” Your voice wavered, and as you went to take another sip of coffee you noticed your hands were shaking too badly. “I wanted to kill him, Nathan. What kind of person–” the words were tight in your throat. 

His hand shot out, surprising you, and he closed it over your own shaking one, running his thumb over the back of your hand. “Kid, look at me.” You couldn’t. “Maggie.  _Look. At. Me.”_ You did then, uncertain what you’d find in his face. “He would have killed you last night. You know that, right? If I hadn’t gotten here when I did, that bastard would have fuckin’ killed you. You have every right for wanting to kill him. Makes me proud as hell that you do.”

You sniffed, feeling the tears burn a hot trail down your cheeks. You didn’t know why you were crying, didn’t know why his hand on yours made you feel more alive than anything had in months. He squeezed your hand, that cybernetic eye glowing again. 

“Thank you, Cable. Nathan. I. Which do you prefer?” 

“Usually Cable.” 

“Usually?”

“Don’t mind ‘Nathan’ so much when it’s just you.” 

“Nathan it is, then.”

“Just don’t fuckin’ let Wilson hear you.” 

You laughed, a soft, sort of choked noise since you weren’t finished crying yet. Your eyes flickered down to your hands, his still enveloping yours with that soothing warmth. You stared for a moment, and felt a pang of loss when he pulled his hand away. With your hands free, you wiped the tears from your face, giggling a bit. 

“I’m so sorry, I normally don’t have breakdowns like this.” 

“Nah.” Nathan shrugged, pushing back from the table. He’d been eating while you talked, but you still felt as though he had been listening intently. “Let’s go, kid. Gotta check those stitches, give ‘em a good clean, put some bandages on.” 

You sat perched precariously on the edge of your bathroom sink, Nathan’s metal hand holding your jaw firmly between his fingers, his human one working at your stitches, cleaning carefully, testing the surrounding area for any bruising or potential fractures. He stepped back, pulling you away from the counter and turning you around, so that your feet were in the sink, knees to your chest, your back to him. He tugged gently at the shirt, pulling it up so that the hem rested around your neck. “Hold this.” It was a gruff demand, and you did as he asked, holding the shirt while he worked to clean your shoulder. He bandaged it, before turning you around again, finally putting a bandage on your forehead, too. He pressed a gentle kiss above it, and you felt confused butterflies take flight in your stomach. 

“Guess you have to go now, huh?” You asked, staring at your feet. 

“Me? Nah. Figured I’d stay here for a few days, make sure you don’t tear out any of those stitches, make sure that fuck doesn’t decide he wants to come back and get his  _other_  arm broken.” 

You beamed at him, unable to contain your joy at what the next two days might hold. Without exchanging any more words, the two of you set out to clean up the kitchen. Everything felt so domestic, cleaning like this. Those confused butterflies were back. You pondered over your feelings, heart fluttering whenever your hand would brush against his. If you didn't know better, you would say you were falling in love with him, but that seemed impossible. You didn't know him. You knew nothing about him, about his life. You knew he had been married and had a daughter in the time he left, but besides that, you knew nothing. Yet you couldn't fight the undeniable pull in your heart whenever you looked at him too long. 


	5. Not Gonna Let You Walk Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan returns to the X-Mansion when Maggie's stitches come out, and Wade becomes concerned when she doesn't show up for a while. On an poorly thought out phone call, Maggie admits her feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is based on Not Gonna Let You Walk Away by LOLO. More fluff, sort of, I guess. Uhhh, let's see. Some angst. Next chapter is angsty as hell, you're gonna fuckin' love it.

It wasn’t like you had intended for things to turn out this way. In fact, you didn’t even know it was possible for things to turn out this way. Nathan had spent the last ten days at your apartment with you, making sure that Ian didn’t come back, and that you didn’t tear any stitches. But the day had finally come, and you sat at the kitchen table grumbling as Nathan removed them.

“There ya go, kid. All set. Go on, go get that shower you’ve been so desperate to get.”

You hopped up, excited. Nathan had forbade your regular use of a body scrub or any facial washes and moisturizers, not wanting to risk the stitches for anything, regardless of how much you griped. You heard his booming laugh in the kitchen as you ended up colliding with your bathroom door in a hurry to open it. It was so nice to shampoo your hair, and your body scrub was even nicer. You felt rejuvenated as you scrubbed days of dead skin off your body. Finally feeling good, you even opted for a shave. Somewhere in between enjoying your shower and feeling good, you had a terrible, fleeting thought. What if Nathan left while you showered, without so much as a goodbye?

You hurried then, toweling off quickly before slathering on body butter and pulling a short sundress on. You darted from your bedroom into the kitchen, mortified when you didn’t see him at the table. Your shoulders slumped, and you thought you felt your heart break a little.

“You alright there, darlin’? Hauled ass outta your bathroom, now you looked like someone kicked your puppy.”

If your ears could have perked up, they would have. You spun around so fast, you almost lost your balance. A genuine smile spread across your face as Nathan quirked an eyebrow. “You’re still here!”

“Christ, where else would I go?”

“I thought you’d leave…”

“Without goodbye? Shit, you must think low of me.”

“No!” Your eyes widened in horror, you never wanted him to think you thought lowly of him, “I just thought maybe you had more important superhero shit to do.”

“Not a superhero.”

You blew a raspberry at him, “You’ll always be my hero,” you batted your eyes, a bit too showy, to make sure he knew you were teasing. You turned serious, however. “Really, Nate. Thank you.” He shrugged your thanks off. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.”

The trip to the X-Mansion was a quiet one. You had a lot of conflicting emotions, and you weren’t sure how to express any of them. You were grateful that he had saved your life, grateful he had taken care of you. But you were sad to see him go. Things with Nathan around had been surprisingly domestic. Whoever got up first would make breakfast, whoever didn’t make breakfast made dinner. You watched mindless television in the evenings, took turn doing dishes, and argued about music before bed. He slept next to you most nights, since you seemed to have nightmares when he didn’t. You knew he couldn’t stay forever, yet you wished you could have prolonged it somehow. “End of the line, Nate,” you murmured, pulling to a stop in front of the X-Mansion.

The front door was open before Nathan even stepped out of the car.

“Daddy’s home!” Wade was screeching on the doorstep.

As Nathan went to get completely out, you reached out and grabbed his hand. He gave you a look so intense you almost let go of him. You had had something clever to say, but in the moment, the words died. You shook your head, smiling. He gave your hand a knowing squeeze, and was almost to the door in no time.

“Cable!” You stuck your head out the window of your car. He turned expectantly. “Thanks. Later, old man.”

He gave you a curt nod, and pushed Wade out of his way before going inside. You sat there for a moment, staring.

Home wasn’t great. But you didn’t think you could go visit the X-Mansion, either. You’d noticed, maybe too late, that you had somehow developed feelings for Nathan in those few days that he stayed with you. It frightened you, the intensity of your feelings. Was it possible to fall in love in such a short time? You didn’t know, weren’t sure you wanted to. You hadn’t been to visit for two weeks when Wade called. You answered it, uncertain that you really wanted to deal with Wade’s bullshit.

“What do you want?”

“Heyyy, pudding pop! Just checking up on you. Haven’t seen you in a few days. What’s going on?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to visit for a while, Wade.”

“Uh-oh. What is it? Are you madly in love with me? I knew you were. I was just telling Russel the other day–”

“Wade, shut up.” Your tone must have tipped him off that something was seriously eating at you.

“Mags, what’s going on?”

“I think I’m in love with Cable.”

“Uh, Mags–”

“I know he’s married and everything, and it’s absolutely ridiculous, and I wish I could stop it or change it but I can’t.”

“Mags.”

“He’s older than me, sure. But under that grumpy fuck thing he’s got going on, he’s really sweet. And I feel so safe with him.”

“Maggie!”

“What?” You snapped, annoyed that Wade kept interrupting.

“Maggie, you’re on speaker phone. And I’m uh, I’m not alone.”

“Wade, who the fuck is with you?” The silence on the other end did not make you feel any safer, especially as it dragged on. You could feel your heart hammering in your chest. This was a bad dream, right? It had to be.

“Fuck.” You recognized Nathan’s voice immediately, and even though you were completely alone in your apartment, your face flushed. He had heard you. Your entire confession. Which meant he knew, and he was the last person you wanted knowing. You groaned, abruptly hanging up on Wade. This was not how that was supposed to go. You had wanted to ignore your feelings until they went away, but now it seemed like you wouldn’t be able to do that. You weren’t sure you had ever been so embarrassed in your life. You weren’t sure how long you had been staring at your ceiling, kicking yourself and your big mouth, when an abrupt knock pulled you from your thoughts. You meandered to the door, pulling it open without looking to see who it was. Nathan stood in front of you, and you blanched.

“Nate, please. I can explain,” you were ashamed by how it sounded like you were begging. He pushed past you into the kitchen, not saying anything for an excruciatingly long time. You shut the door behind him, afraid of what was to come.

“We need to talk, kid.”


	6. Don't Wanna Think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie invests in the help of friends to get ready for a New Year's party, hoping to make Cable jealous with her date. When it works, Maggie goes home and gets drunk, and realizes she's not over Cable, no matter what she says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is based on Don't Wanna Think, by Julia Michaels. Really raw song, I highly recommend. Whooo! Now that I'm all caught up on what was on Tumblr, you're about to get a brand new chapter. Feel free to leave comments/suggestions on the story, I love hearing from you guys.

You stared at Cable, flinching at his tone. There was no reason to talk about any of this. You already knew this wasn’t going to work out, already knew it wasn’t acceptable. You leaned backwards, resting your back against the door.

“So, then, uh, talk?” You looked at your feet instead of at him, not wanting him to see how much it pained you to have to have this conversation. You had a feeling you knew what he was going to say. You just didn't want him to say it.

“This won’t work.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I’m old enough to be your father.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I’m  _married_ for fuck’s sake!”

“Yes, Nathan, thank you. Christ, weren’t you fucking listening when I was talking to Wade? I’m pretty damned sure I mentioned all of those things. If that’s all you came to say, kindly get the fuck out of my house.” You stepped away from your door, gesturing to it. “Don’t waste either of our time. You have better shit to do.”

“Kid, I stayed to make sure you were okay, not because I wanted to.”

“Good to know! Are we done here?”

“What the fuck is your problem?” He snapped. It was that tone he took that made you finally look up at him.

“My problem? You. You’re my fucking problem. Either you don’t listen real fuckin’ well, or you’re going deaf in your old age, Nathan, because I fucking told Wade all of that already. You didn’t need to make the trip here.”

“You’re an ungrateful shit.”

“Oh, that’s great,” you laughed, a sardonic noise in the otherwise quiet apartment. “I said thanks. Told you I appreciated what you did for me. More than once. What about that makes me ungrateful, Nate? Fill me in, because I’m still at a motherfucking loss.”

“I considered you a friend, you mouthy little fuck,” he was advancing on you, and you squared your shoulders, tipping your chin up to meet his gaze defiantly.

“Oh, poor you, what’s changed?”

“You.”

“Oh, pray tell.”

“Fucking say it.”

“What? That I think I’m in love with you? That I  _am_  in love with you? That’s why you can’t consider me a friend? Really? Christ, Cable. I’m too old for these games, definitely thought you would be, too.”

“This,” he started, gesturing between the two of you, “Is never going to fucking happen.”

“Good. Now get the fuck out of my house, before I throw you out.”

He snorted, reaching around you to reach your doorknob. He lowered his head so you could feel his breath on your ear, and you felt your heart stammering in your chest. “Get over yourself, kid.” His voice was low, dangerous. You rolled your eyes, stepping aside so he could leave.

Locking the door behind him, you did the only thing you could think to. You grabbed a bottle of whiskey, sat down, and cried.

* * *

 

Months had passed. You hadn’t seen Cable since. The others came over once or twice a week for movies and pizza. Sometimes you took Russel for the night to just play video games. It was a Tuesday, and Wade let himself in. Followed by Colossus, who barely fit into your apartment. Ellie and Yukio followed, then there was Russel. Dopinder squeezed into your already packed kitchen, and Neena came in after. You watched the door, half hoping Cable would be with them. Neena gave you an apologetic smile, shaking her head. You shrugged.

“So what’s the occasion, Piotr?”

“Colossus here missed you for Thanksgiving.”

“Mansion is too quiet,” he confirmed, nodding. You shrugged, you hadn’t been to the Mansion since you’d thrown Cable out of your apartment. Didn’t want to risk running into him.

“Aw, thanks, guys,” you smiled, but it didn’t reach your eyes. You ordered a few pizzas, and somehow turned it into a game of Monopoly. As your misfit family filed back out of the apartment several hours later, Ellie stopped, hovering in the doorway like she wanted to say something.

“He’s different now, y'know. Quieter.”

“That’s not different, Ellie.”

“Well, whatever. You’d know if you’d been around.”

“Love you, too, Ellie, now scram.”

You were alone in your apartment once again, and the loneliness was crushing. Could you live like this for much longer? Did you want to? You missed your friends, and despite how much of an ass he was, you missed Nathan, too, maybe most of all. You wanted to hit him, but you also wanted to wrap your arms around him and hold him against you, just to have him close to you again. Fuck, did you miss the closeness. 

* * *

 

Two days before New Year’s Eve, you invited Ellie, Yukio, and Domino over for a girl’s night. You were pleased to see Russell had tagged along.

“So, what’s the plan for tonight?” Russell asked, cross legged on your bed.

“I need their help,” you laughed, nervous.

“With what?” Ellie was suspicious, but you brushed her tone off with a wave of your hand.

“Uh, I’m coming to the New Year’s party,” you said quietly. All four of your friends turned to stare at you. “What?!”

“Is that why you need our help?”

“Okay, listen. I just want help getting dolled up, that’s all. I figured Yukio could paint my nails, and Neena could pick out my dress.”

“Why do you need me here then?” Ellie asked, eyes narrowed. You went to the bathroom, pulling a pair of clippers from a drawer. You offered them to her.

“I need you to shave my head.”

“Uh, Mags,” Russell started from his spot on the bed, “You’re not in any danger, are you? Because I read online, ya know, that drastic appearance changes are an indication of suicide. And if that’s what’s goin’ on, we’re yer friends, and we can help,” his voice was pleading. You melted a bit at his concern.

“Nah, nothing like that, kiddo. Just need a change is all.”

And so everyone set about fixing you up. Yukio opted for a blood red polish, and then rummaged through your makeup until she found a lipstick that matched. Ellie shaved your head, careful that nothing was missed, while Neena plundered through your closet until she pulled out the perfect dress. Meanwhile, Russell just talked about a girl in one of his classes he liked, but he didn’t know how to go about getting her attention, or even if she’d like a guy like him.

When all was said and done, and you’d sent everyone home, you were pleased with your reflection. You looked dangerous. Good. That was what you wanted.

You had been on a couple of dates with an older guy you met getting coffee. His name, by some strange coincidence, was Nathaniel. If you were being honest with yourself, that was part of the appeal. And it was also the reason you had decided to invite him to the party at the Mansion.

You had done your makeup, using the lipstick Yukio had picked out, adding wings sharp enough to kill a man, and squeezing into the dress Neena had picked. It was a small backless number, black, but it looked like rippling water when the light caught it just right. You didn’t do heels, but you wore it with your boots, tugging a warm coat over it when a car horn outside indicated that Nathaniel was here to pick you up.

He praised your appearance all the way over to the X-Mansion, and when you got out to go inside, he kept his arm wrapped around your waist. Neena answered the door, eyes wide when she saw you with someone. “Maggie, you made it!” She said it loudly, and it gave you the impression that Cable was somewhere in the room behind her. “Wow, you look amazing!”

She stepped aside, and Cable was the first person you saw. Your heart skipped a beat, noting how he looked you over. His face was stony when Nathaniel followed you in.

“Hey, ice cream soda, who’s your friend?” Wade was chipper as always, and you kissed him on the cheek, smiling. You really had missed Wade more than you cared to admit. The nicknames were annoying as hell, but he could be sweet. 

“Uh, guys, this is the guy I’ve been seeing. Nate, this is everyone.”

There was an agonizing silence, and you saw Cable’s cybernetic eye flare to life.

“Well, this is awkward,” Wade said cheerily.

“Soooo awkward,” was Russell’s quiet response.

“Drinks are in the kitchen?” You asked, shrugging out of your coat and draping it over the couch. You headed straight for the kitchen, fixing yourself a strong rum and coke.You had been anxious to get out of the spotlight, anxious to make sure Nathan couldn't look you over with that intense gaze that made your knees weak. 

“What the fuck are you doin’, darlin’?”

You spun, bristling when you saw Cable filling the doorway. You held up your glass. “Rum and coke. Why, want one?”

“Don’t play stupid, we both know that you’re not.”

“Right. Well, ‘we’ don’t anything, Cable,” you kept your voice sweet and level, so that nobody would be tipped off to the impending storm brewing in the kitchen.

“He’s old.”

“So are you,” you shrugged, sipping your drink. “Do you want one or not, Cable? I’m trying to get a decent buzz rolling before I go back into that living room. I just want to dance, spend some time with my friends, and go back home with Nate.”

Cable growled, and you flashed him another smile.

“Don’t fuckin’ patronize me, doll. And don’t act like I don’t know exactly what game you’re playing.”

“What game is that, Nathan?” You purred, stepping towards him.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Nathaniel’s voice came from behind Cable, and you both turned your attention towards the door. “Everything alright in here?” He asked, looking between the two of you.

“Sure is! Just catching up with Cable here. Was about to fix him a drink, grab myself another one. Go on, get to know everyone. I’ll be right with you, sugar.”

He cast a hesitant look over Cable before shrugging and heading back to join the others. You finished your drink, pouring another one before fishing out two shot glasses.

“What’re you doing?”

“We are going to do a shot for old time’s sake,” you smiled, filling two shots full of amber liquid.

“What are we drinking to?”

“Being too old to play games,” you winked, and pushed his glass towards him. You drank, before sashaying out of the kitchen, your drink in hand.

At some point, you had gotten more than a little tipsy. Music pumped from speakers, and as you danced past Cable, you plucked the cigar from between his teeth, keeping it as you danced your round before returning it to him as you passed. He seemed to watch you and your date carefully the entire night, as though waiting for Nathaniel to do something stupid.

As it edged closer and closer to midnight, you found yourself being pulled closer and closer to Nathan. You couldn’t help it, it was like a gravitational force, and no matter what you did, you always ended up standing close to him.

Wade shouted when the clock struck midnight, and as you went to turn to kiss Nathaniel, a tradition you never really understood, you felt Cable’s metal hand close tightly around your upper arm. You turned, ready to say something biting or maybe even slap him, but instead, were shocked to find him crushing his lips to yours in a bruising kiss. You blinked twice before melting into it, hands resting on his chest. Somewhere, far off it seemed, you could hear Wade catcalling.

Nathan pulled away from you then, growling in your ear, “Go home, Maggie.”

And you did. Dopinder gave you a ride, leaving Nathaniel there to wonder what had just happened. Home again, you kicked off your boots, grabbing a bottle of absinthe and settling down on your bed, furious. Hadn’t the two of you decided you were too old for any kind of games? So what the hell was that?

You had thought you’d been over him, thought you were going to be okay, after those months of no contact. But things didn’t seem to be that easy. Why would they be. You stared down at your phone, tears pricking your eyes.

 **Maggie [12:47]:**  Nathan, what the fuck was that?

 **Maggie [1:07]:**  You can’t just kiss me and tell me to leave like that!

 **Maggie [1:53]:**  Seriously, Nathan, please just tell me what the fuck is happening. None of this is okay.

 **Maggie [2:12]:**  I’m sorry about bringing Nathaniel. Is that what that was about?

You called him, waiting patiently as it went to voicemail. You hung up, furious. How could he just ignore you?

 **Maggie [2:20]:**  Nathan, please.

 **Maggie [3:13]:**  Please just answer your phone.

You had tried calling twice more, and each time it was met with the voicemail. You felt the tears finally falling as a sob wracked your chest.

 **Maggie [4:38]:**  I’m sorry, Nathan. I’m so sorry. I love you. I don’t know how to stop.

Having sent your final text for the evening, you cried into your bottle of absinthe for another thirty minutes or so, and when at last it felt as if you were too drunk to feel the heartache, you set the bottle on your bedside table, and cried yourself to sleep.


	7. I Won't Say (I'm In Love)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan and Wade have a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obvs this chapter is based on the song from Hercules, because I just keep imagining Cable walking around the mansion singing it and various members of X-Force are the muses. Someone should draw that. Next chapter will likely contain smut. Or the chapter after that. I'll get there. I swear. It'll be worth the wait, I promise.

Wade wasn't sure what to expect when he walked into Cable's room, but it certainly wasn't what he found. Cable was sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, face in his hands. 

"Are you crying?"

"Fuck you, Wilson."

"No, seriously, what's going on?"

"Not anything you can help with."

Wade stood there helplessly, before moving slowly over to the bed, sitting carefully next to Cable. "Try me. I might be a giant sack of sweaty jock straps, but if I know one thing, man, it's pain. Maybe I can help. Who knows?" Wade shrugged. It was one of his rare, serious moments, and Cable didn't feel like dealing with the inevitable shift back to his obnoxious self. "Is this about Maggie?"

"Why the fuck does everything have to be about Maggie?" He groaned. 

"I...did not say everything was? I just asked if that's what's eating you. Unless your fancy future space virus is eating you. That would suck, too. Okay, okay. But really, dude, she's obviously got it for you bad. What's the problem?"

"I'm married, Wilson. I miss my wife. Every time I look at Maggie, I feel like I'm cheating on her."

"Holy shit, you're in love with her, aren't you?"

Cable elbowed Wade in the ribs. Hard. "I'm not in love with anyone, Wade." 

"Bullshit! I saw the way you kissed her. We  _all_ saw that. You don't kiss people you don't care about like that." 

"Wade, you kiss everyone like that."

"That's because I care about everyone. You're all beautiful people, and sometimes I just want to have one giant, oiled up orgy with all of you."

"Jesus Christ." Cable scrubbed his hands over his face, this wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to him, it wasn't fair to Maggie, it just wasn't fair. "I really feel like I'm cheating on Hope."

"Cable, you've been here how long? Almost two years now? It's okay to move on. Moving on doesn't mean you have to stop loving someone. You can always love them, even if they're gone. But it's not fair to hurt yourself just because you're scared."

For being a mouthy fuck, Wade Wilson was sometimes very insightful. The moments were rare, brief flashes of clarity in his insanity. It was the moments that a person could realize Wade really did filter his feelings through humor, and when the humor was cast aside for a moment, he said things so profound that it reminded you he had genuine feelings under all those layers of shit. And Wade was noticing that Cable wasn't as tough as he liked to pretend. Underneath that tough guy exterior, he  _was_ sweet. And hadn't Maggie said so? Hadn't she said that was one of the reason she had fallen in love with him? 

In love with him.

It made no sense to Nathan. He hadn't known her at hardly any time at all, he was over twice her age. She was 24, and he was definitely over 48. But there was something about her, something that reminded him of home. He did't know what it was, but there was something equally calming and infuriating about her. She got on all of his nerves, but somehow made him feel better than he had since he got stuck here. Was he in love? She had told him she was in love with him, hell she'd even texted it to him, an apology that she couldn't do anything to change it. Did he want her to change it? Would he let her change it, even if she could? 

"Come on, dude, just admit you love her."

"I'm not in love with her."

"Alright, keep telling yourself that. But if you are in love with her, it's okay. You're allowed to have feelings, big guy. Hell, I'd date her if I could." Nathan shot Wade a sideways glance, and Wade shrugged. "What can I say? She's a babe. She's clever and mouthy, and she likes to hit people. What's not to like?"

"So why don't you date her, then?" Cable huffed, and despite everything, he couldn't keep the jealousy out of his voice. Wade laughed beside him, and Nathan was tempted to shoot him. 

"You! I won't date her because of you!"

"I'm not stopping you," Nathan snapped. 

"Not directly, no. But she's so in love with you, it's fucking stupid. Y'know, when I'd go hang out with her she always tried to make it seem like she wasn't interested in what you'd been doing, or how you were. But you could tell it was hurting her, pretending not to care. I don't like seeing her hurt, Summers. Not after everything else that she's had to deal with. So if you're not going to give her a chance, you'd better not fucking lead her on, either. Because if you break her heart, I will kill you, Tin Man." 

Cable stared at him for a long moment, trying to determine whether or not Wade was kidding. After much deliberation, Nathan decided that he wasn't. Wade was protective of Maggie, the same way she was protective of him. It was sweet, almost. The way they always seemed to have each other's back. 

"She talked about me?"

"Well, she talked so little about you it was obvious she wanted to. I think she stayed away so that she could fall out of love with you, but I didn't seem to help. And you can't act like you weren't all weird when she wasn't coming around."

"I wasn't weird."

"Alright, fine. You were broody. And you were. That's all you did. Listen. Either cut yourself some slack, or cut her some. Either way, ya'll are miserable and I can tell. Me. The most miserable fucking avocado in existence. Tell her you love her, or fuck her brains out. Just do something."

"Wilson?"

"Yes, daddy?"

"You're an ass."

"Love you, too."

And with that Wade was back up, leaving Cable alone in his room, alone with his thoughts, and trying to figure out just what it was love felt like. He didn't remember falling in love with Hope, just remembered that he loved her more than anything in his lifetime. 


	8. Kisses Down Low

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie heads over to the X-Mansion to spend time with her friends, only to find out that everyone has gone away on a mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUTTY SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT  
> ENJOY MADDIE MY DARLING  
> ENJOY
> 
> Okay, but seriously, sexy smut, but then more fluff and then more angst in future chapters. Enjoy my children ^_^

You had packed your warmest pajamas, your favorite movie, and the fuzzy socks that allowed you to slide across the kitchen with ease. You locked up, and drove over to the mansion. You had text Wade, asking for a sleepover, and he had agreed, swearing up and down it was going to be the best sleepover of your life. And you had believed him. But when you got to the mansion, you were met with silence. That was different, usually Wade was right there at the door to great you. 

"Hello? Wade?" You called out, heading for the kitchen. Wade had promised you hot cocoa, maybe that's what he was doing? But you froze in the kitchen like a deer in the headlights. Cable was on the other side of the island, shirtless, sweatpants slung low across his hips. Your mouth went dry. "Uhm, you're not Wade."

"Fuckface went on a mission."

"Where's everybody else?"

"Mission. We've been taking turns staying back to make sure that fuck face doesn't decide he wants to come back. My turn this time."

"Uh." 

"Wait, Wade tell you he was here?"

"He said we were gonna have a sleepover," you couldn't help but pout. You had packed your comfiest pajamas and your fuzziest socks. Nathan raised an eyebrow and you shrugged, "Hot cocoa, movies, dancing in the kitchen in fuzzy socks and seeing who could stand up the longest before falling on their ass."

"Christ, what are you, five?" 

You scowled at him, turning on your heel to storm out. But you had already been wearing your fuzziest socks, and the sudden motion was enough to send you sprawling, but Nathan's hands caught you quickly. You didn't know how he moved so fast, but you were glad that he had. He helped you to your feet, hands on your waist to keep you steady. You stared up at him, your heart hammering at your closeness. You were so angry with him. You had been so angry with him. First, he kisses you in front of your date. And then. And  _then_ he had ignored you. Your texts, your phone calls. He'd just completely ghosted you. You had truly thought the two of you were going somewhere, but every time you thought you were, he had to go and do something totally out of left field and you fucking hated it. 

"Take your fucking hands off me, Nate," you spat. He looked taken aback for a moment, before his eyes darkened, his face stormy. 

"What the fuck is your problem this time?" 

"You!" You threw your hands up in the air in defeat. "You are my problem, Nathan. You have been my fucking problem. I don't know what to do with you. One minute we're okay, the next minute you're somewhere else totally on the fucking signals things."

"What are you going on about, you little fucking brat?" 

"You know exactly what I'm on about. You  _kissed_ me. In front of my date!" You were furious, hands on your hips, and you were distinctly aware that you probably looked like a child. 

"Some fucking date," Nathan snorted, "I kind of felt bad for the poor bastard."

"What's that supposed to mean, Nathan?" You asked, exasperated. He advanced on you, slowly, backing you into the wall. 

"Did he know?"

"Did he know  _what_ , Nathan? Jesus Christ."

"That it was my name you screamed while he was fucking you?" 

You faltered, unsure of what to say. "How dare you?" 

"Did he know it was my hands you were thinking of when he touched you? My tongue, my voice.  _My cock._ "

You stared at him, eyes blazing. You hauled off and smacked him. "Fuck you, Nathan, fuck you," you went to swing again, and he caught your wrist, pinning it above your head. 

"You only get one, darlin'. Next time you hit me, I'm gonna hit you back." His voice was low and gravely. You had to do your best to keep from rolling your hips into his. Your chin tipped up defiantly, and Nathan smirked. "Did he know that he was never enough to get you off? Did he know that as soon as you left you had to touch yourself, had to think of me fuckin' you til you scream, just so that you could come? Did you ever tell him?"

You smacked him again. Words failed you, and his warning had fallen on deaf ears, apparently. Nathan straightened up, delivering a solid smack across your cheek. It rattled your teeth, but you were unable to prevent yourself from grinding your hips into his, moaning. Something like realization flashed in Nathan's eyes. He smirked at you, pressing his body into yours. 

"Is that what baby girl likes?" 

"I should fucking kill you, Nate," you growled, and the noise turned into a gasp as his hand found your throat and squeezed. Your eyes widened and you bit your quivering lip, your cunt throbbing with a need you had never felt before. 

"Such strong words for such a little girl," Nathan groaned, slapping you again. You looked up at him, and before you could stop yourself, your free hand was pulling him down to you for a bruising kiss that was mostly teeth. You bit hard at his bottom lip, and the hand pressed you back harder against the wall. "Did he know this is what you wanted the whole time, baby? Did he know you were just using him to fill a hole only I could fill?" 

Even if you had missed the innuendo, the thrust of his hips would have clued you in, and you ground your hips up against his very evident erection. "Are you gonna keep talking shit, Nathan, or are you gonna fuck me?" You asked, voice breathy. He chuckled against your lips, and as he pressed kisses down your neck, occasionally sucking spots into the tender flesh, you could feel the curve of his smile. "Fuck, Nathan, fuck, fuck." 

"I haven't even touched you yet, baby," he teased, and to prove a point, his hand went down the front of your own sweats. "No panties? Naughty girl," his fingers slipped down past your clit, immediately finding your slick cunt. "So wet, darlin'. Just for me?"

"Just for you, daddy, just for you," you gasped. His fingers stilled, and his eyes met yours. 

"What'd you call me?" 

"Daddy."

"Do it again."

"Daddy."

"Again."

"Please, daddy," you ground yourself down on his fingers, trying desperately to get the friction you needed. Instead, Nathan yanked your sweatpants down, ordering you to step out of them. You did as he asked, and when he bent to lift your legs up around his waist, you gladly obliged, arm going around his neck to anchor you there. You heard his own sweats his the floor, but you were too busy nibbling at his jaw to pay attention to it. 

"You sure about this?" 

"Yes."

"Fuckin' tell me."

"Fuck me, daddy, need to feel you," you begged. And sure enough, Nathan slid home. He hit places inside you no other man in your life ever had been able to, the sheer size of him stretching you in a way you hadn't dreamed of. He was right. Nobody was able to fill that hole the way he could, and the two of you moaned at the sensation. 

"You're so fuckin' tight, baby. Daddy's gonna fuck you so good, make you scream for me." 

"Yes, please, please, please," You threw your head back when his hands went to your hips, bouncing you up and down, spearing you on his length every time you came back down. You were trapped between Nathan and the wall, your eager moans echoing in the kitchen. His hands felt like heaven on your bare skin. He had been right. You had been thinking of Nate when Nathaniel fucked you. You never came with Nathaniel, you had to do it all yourself when he left at the end of the night. But when he was fucking you, you'd scream out 'Nate' into your pillow, doing your best to imagine that Nathan Summers was the one fucking you into the pillows. And somehow Nathan had known. He'd known exactly what it was you had been doing. He'd known when you brought Nathaniel to the party, knew what you had meant when you said you wanted to go home with 'Nate'. And somehow, he had known exactly how you needed him to take you.

He filled you up, to the point where you were almost worried you might break, that you might not be able to take him all at once. But Christ, did he feel good. One hand came up around your throat again, squeezing. It wasn't enough to cut off your breathing, just your blood flow, and as you felt yourself growing dizzy, he let go and smacked you across the face. The orgasm that followed was earth shattering, and you weren't sure you were going to be able to walk tomorrow. You didn't care, not now. Maybe not ever again. 

Your cunt was a vice around his dick, fluttering around him, and he groaned against the feeling. "Babygirl," he growled. It was a warning. You leaned forward, pulling him down to feast on your neck. 

"Wanna swallow it, daddy, please," you begged quietly in his ear, and the moan your statement had procured made you shiver in delight. He pulled you off him, pushing you down to your knees. You'd never had something so big in your mouth before, but you took a tentative lick anyway. The taste of yourself, coating him, was simply delectable, and you suck his head into your mouth, mewling. "Taste so good covered in me, daddy," you told him, glancing up to see him watching you intently. Whether it was the eye contact or your words, Nathan's hand curled around the back of your head, pushing you down as hot cum shot down your throat. You swallowed hard around him, and were amazed at the noise he made at that. How could one person make so many noises, all of them as angelic as the last? 

Nathan helped you to your feet, and you marveled up at him, until all your awe was promptly interrupted when he kissed you. "Don't ever forget, babygirl. Daddy does it best." 

You smiled, pulling him down for another kiss. 

"Dinner, a movie, and maybe some more of whatever that just was?" 

"Anything you want, doll. Anythin' you want." 

You were amazed at how different things felt now that you'd fucked Nathan. It wasn't as if the relationship itself had changed, but all the tension seemed to have dissipated. Your picked your sweats back up, squirming into them, eyeing him carefully. You reached for his wrist, pausing for a moment. "Nate?'

"What's up, darlin'?"

"We really gotta talk about shit," you stared down at the floor. The last time the two of you talked, you didn't see him for months. 


	9. You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie and Nathan discuss their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously this is named for the song by Toby Keith. Warnings for some PTSD in this one. It ends pretty happy, though. Well, happy-ish.

You looked up at Cable, a frown tugging at your lips. Here you were, ruining things for yourself again. You should have just been happy with the sex, it was mind blowing, and you would be lying if you had said you didn’t enjoy it. You had, immensely. But at the end of the day, you needed Nate more than physically.

“What’s there to talk about?” He grunted, leaning against a counter. “Didn’t wanna do too much talkin’ just now, did you?”

“Nathan, that’s not fair,” you couldn’t keep the hurt from your voice, and it stung to think he was against talking to you about anything. You ran a hand over your face, shaking your head. “Nothing’s changed, Nate.” Your voice was quiet, and he looked you over, gauging your words.

“Yeah, I figured you weren’t the type to let sex get in the way of friendship.”

“Nathan, that’s not what I meant at all!”

He leveled you with a look, and you withered. It felt as though all the fight had gone out of you with just that one look. You felt your throat tightening as tears threatened to fall. You shook your head, willing the tears not to fall. “What _did_ you mean then, kid?”

“I’m not a kid, goddammit! I’m not a fucking kid, alright?  I’m a grown ass woman!”

“Which is why you’re acting like a fucking child, right?”

“Right, I’m the one acting like a child. Do they just not teach you to have feelings in the future? Are you all just emotionally repressed? Or has that metal made you more of a fucking machine than a man?” You regretted the words as soon as they were out of your mouth, your hands flying up to cover the offending body part in question. “Nathan, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“You’re _sorry_? Do you think I want to be in this shitty fuckin’ time? You think I want to be so far away from my wife, from our daughter? You think I fuckin’ _like_ being half metal? Huh? C’mon, doll, you had so much to fuckin’ say a minute ago!” He was yelling now, and you flinched away from the noise, your heart stuttering against your ribcage. “And you want to talk about _my_ time being fucked, about how I was raised? Your fucking parents should have taught you not to speak unless spoken to,” he snapped.

You were pretty sure your heart stopped at that moment, and your mouth open and closed like a fish, unable to saying anything, but a stuttering noise escaping all the same. Your fingers flew up to the cheekbone that Ian had broken, and you backed into the corner, shaking your head. No, now was not the time for flashbacks. No, no. You had to hold your ground, had to fight back, had to make your point known. But you got the belt for trying to make your point. You got the belt for not doing what you were told, and if you didn’t act afraid, you would get it twice as hard.

Nathan stared at you, eyes blazing, until realization hit him. Wade’s words echoed in his head, about how your cheekbone had been broken because you had spoken out of line. His face was pained, and he approached you slowly.

“Maggie, darlin’, come on. You’re safe. You’re safe. I promise, doll, you’re all right.”

His hands were extended palms forward, showing you they were empty, but still you cowered, your brain refusing to let you let go of the scene playing in your head. Strong arms encompassed you, and you screamed, thrashing.

“Maggie. Baby girl, come on. You’re safe. That fucker won’t ever hurt you again, baby, I promise. He won’t ever get close enough. Come on, come on, calm down.”

“N-Nathan?” You shook your head again, throat tight, breathing ragged. Slowly the room around you came back into focus, and you found yourself pressed tightly against Nathan’s chest. His arms tightened around you as yours went up around his neck, holding him tightly as you sobbed into his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, baby, I wasn’t thinkin’, and I never should have said that. I’d kill anyone who tried to shut up that smart mouth, I love it, I love how mouthy you are.” He was smoothing his broad hands down your back, whispering gentle words into the top of your head as you cried. All you had wanted to do was talk to him about things, you never wanted to fight, but somehow, you just couldn’t keep your mouth shut or your temper in check enough to make it a productive conversation.

When at last the tears had calmed, Nathan sighed. “Go get yourself comfortable, doll. I’ll make some cocoa. I’ll be in in ten, and then we can talk. Sound good?”

You sniffled, nodding your head. Sounded good enough, sure. You weren’t sure if this conversation would be any more productive than your other two, but you’d give it a chance. You pulled a blanket off the back of the couch, wrapping it tightly around your shoulders. You were almost grateful it was winter. You loved being able to wrap up in numerous layers and sip on cocoa. There was something decidedly simple about it that made you feel good.

Nathan came in carrying two large mugs of cocoa. You noticed that both had marshmallows and whipped cream on top, and you giggled. “Never pegged you as a marshmallow guy,” you whispered, taking the mug gratefully.

“If you tell anyone, I’ll find something else for that wicked tongue to do.”

It was equally a promise and a threat, and you felt that tingle down your spine again. You looked over at him, feeling suddenly shy. “I’m sorry. It…flashbacks don’t usually get that bad.”

“No, don’t you dare fuckin’ apologize for that, darlin’. I should be more mindful of what I say.”

“Sounds like you’ve been talking to Colossus too much.”

“Yeah, well. Maybe. Alright, darlin’. You wanted to talk. Let’s talk.”

“I’m in love with you.”

“Yeah, you’ve said that. Drunk text.”

“No, Nate. I’m in love with you. Really. I meant it on the phone with Wade, I meant it when we fought in my apartment, I meant it in the drunk text. And I mean it now. I’m in love with you, and I don’t know how to change it.”

“Do you want to change it?”

You looked at him, shocked. That hadn’t been what you were expecting, and you certainly hadn’t expected the softness in his tone. “Don’t you?’

“Not what I asked, darlin’. Asked if _you_ wanted to change it. And you didn’t answer.”

You considered carefully for a moment before shaking your head. No, you didn’t want to change it. It didn’t matter to you anymore if Nathan loved you back or not. If the two of you were going to be okay, you’d be okay being in love with him, even just as friends. “No. I don’t want to change it.”

“Then don’t.”

“But we’ll still be friends, right?”

It was Nathan’s turn to look shocked. “Why wouldn’t we?”

“Because when we fought in my apartment. You said you considered me a friend until I ruined it.”

Nathan looked at you, brows knitted together. “Maggie, when I look at you, I feel like I’m cheating on my wife.” You spluttered, blinking wildly at him. That. Was not what you had been expecting. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, but it hadn’t been that.

“What?”

“Looking at you makes me feel like I’m cheating on my wife. I like being with you. I like spending time with you. I like seeing you smile and hearing you laugh. I like fighting with you. I like fucking you more. I loved her, Maggie. I _do_ love her.”

“And you’re afraid that if you love me back, it will mean your love for her is lesser.”

“Have you been talking to Wade?”

“Yes,” you laughed, “But not about you. I’ve been helping Wade deal with the same thing. He’s so hung up with Vanessa, and honestly, I don’t blame him. He loved her so much. I’ve never seen a love like that before. He would have done anything for her. And I think she would have done the same for him. No superpowers, but she would have died for him, over and over.”  You wiped a stray tear from your cheek. Vanessa and Wade’s relationship had been a fairy tale, as far as you were concerned. There was so much love, so much trust.

“You loved her, too.” It wasn’t a question. You shrugged, before nodding.

“I guess I did. She was more family than I had ever hoped to have. She was the one who convinced me I wasn’t something undesirable, that I was allowed to be something besides skinny and still be pretty. She was the one who…well, she took care of me when Wade found me. Wouldn’t let me out of her sight. I had something with her that I never had with anyone. It wasn’t romantic, but it was love, without a doubt. And that’s just it, Nathan. It’s okay if you don’t love me the way I love you, or the way Wade loves Vanessa.”

“What—”

“Shut up and let me finish, please. I am in love with you. I love you. You don’t have to love me back, it doesn’t make me think less of you, it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I’m okay being your friend, if that’s what you want. If you want to fuck me sometimes, I won’t say no to that, either. I just want you to be honest. I don’t care what relationship we have, so long as I have you in my life.”

“I don’t deserve you, fuck,” Nathan had turned his head away from you, but you had a feeling if he was looking at you, you’d see more emotions than he was comfortable showing. You stretched your left arm out, fingers brushing his flesh hand and pulling it close, intertwining your fingers with his.

“Friends?”

“Yeah, friends sounds good.”

“Nathan?”

“Hm?”

“She’d want you to be happy, I think.”

You felt him tense, and you rubbed your thumb across the back of his hand. “You saved her, Nate. She’s safe. You don’t have to keep hurting yourself.”

“Christ, you sound like fucking Wade.”

You giggled a bit, returning your attention to your cocoa. You told him some more endearing stories of your childhood, ones without your parents. Playing in the woods, the time you broke your wrist jumping off a ledge into a lake, and lied about it to your parents because you weren’t supposed to be there in the first place. The time you broke your prom date’s nose.

“You broke his nose.”

“Well, yeah.”

“For?”

“He got fresh. I moved his hand once, he put it back. Then I broke his nose. I don’t play that game, I never have. You either do it my way the first time, or you deal with my other way the second time.”

“So you’ve always been a fighty little shit.”

You stuck your tongue out at him. Wade might have set you up, but this had definitely been the best sleepover of your lifetime. You scooted closer to Nathan, cocoa long finished, mugs set on the floor, as you flipped through the channels. “Hey, Rocky is on!”

You discarded the remote as Nathan got comfortable, and you wiggled your way in between his legs. He looked down at you, and you hesitated for a moment before he opened his arms up. You settled comfortably against his chest, face turned towards the TV. Nate’s arms closed around you, and you fell asleep, content with the safety you found in his arms.

You woke up, confused at the weight on your back, and the hardness underneath you. Something metal bit into your cheek, and you shuffled up to find Nathan was still underneath you, arms wrapped snuggly around your waist. You smiled, shimmying upwards more. You kissed his nose. He didn’t move. You kissed his forehead. Still nothing. His chin. Both cheeks. First one eye, then his cybernetic one. He still had not stirred.

So you took a chance, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. Well, you had meant it to be a quick kiss, but his arms tightened around you, holding you in place while his mouth devoured yours. Your stomach was full of butterflies, and you wondered if this was what being in love was supposed to feel like. Butterflies and morning kisses instead of fists.

“Do you kiss all your friends like that, Nate?” You giggled.

“Nah, baby, just you.”

Your heart stuttered. He called you baby. Not baby girl, not doll, not darling. You didn’t mind his nicknames, but something about him calling you baby felt way too intimate for you, especially if you were just meant to be friends.

“Come on, asshole, let’s make breakfast.”

You hauled him up, and while he made coffee, you grabbed a bowl of the sugary cereal Russell liked so much. “That shit is so bad for you,” Nathan gruffed.

“But it tastes amazing,” you countered.

“Yeah, that’s what Yukio says, too.”

“Some of us have taste, Nathan,” you sassed.

“She’s Ellie’s girlfriend, and you like me. I think a point could be argued that neither of you have taste. Besides,” he turned away from the stove, pointing a spatula, “You drink orange juice with pulp. You definitely _don’t_ have taste.”

“It’s not my fault it’s the only thing Wade won’t touch!”

“You want some protein for breakfast or are you just gonna sit there and guzzle sugar for your first meal.”

“I guess I’ll take some bacon, sure.”

You finished your cereal, moving on to your coffee. “How can you even drink that?” Nathan wrinkled his nose at you, and you wrinkled yours back.

“I’ll try that nasty shit you call coffee if your try mine.”

“I got a cavity just thinking about that.”

“They have cavities in the future?”

Nathan gave you a look that looked so much like one he would give to Wade, you couldn’t help but burst out into a fit of giggles. He flashed you one of those rare smiles, the ones that were rarely seen on his face, and it made your heart soar. You could wake up to that face every morning, you realized. The thought saddened you, knowing that Nathan didn’t feel the same way about you as you did him, but you reminded yourself that his friendship meant more to you than your feelings.

The two of you finished breakfast, and you helped him wash up, before finally deciding you should probably get home before everyone else got back, and Wade started asking questions. You didn’t want Wade asking questions, not yet.

“Hey, I’ll see you soon, okay?” You were hopeful that Nathan would agree, hopeful that after everything he’d want to see you again.

“I fuckin’ hope so,” he murmured, pressing a searing kiss to your lips. As it always did, you were dizzy with the intensity of it.


	10. Death Of A Bachelor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie gets taken on her first X-Force mission at a gala, Nathan realizes some things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, at this point, I'm pretty sure I'm writing for myself. This is already longer than any fanfiction I've ever written. There's even dialogue! I hate dialogue! I love you, goodbye. More smut in chapter eleven.

Winter had passed, finally, and Nathan was enjoying the weather for the first time in what felt like forever. Wade had kept pestering him, insisting that something was different about him, but as far as Nathan was concerned, nothing had changed at all. He still went on missions. He still hated sugary coffee and cereals. Still went for a run every morning.

Things had changed, certainly, but Nathan didn’t think he had. He’d convinced you to move into the mansion, deciding that it was safer that way. Since Nathan had had the biggest room, he’d offered to share it with you. It was his bed, which had been more comfortable, but you had moved other furniture in. Your sofa, your dresser. It now all occupied space in his room. Sometimes you slept on the couch, sometimes you slept in Nathan’s bed with him. It was something you enjoyed, waking up every day and seeing his face. But besides that, nothing had changed. You were still friends. Sometimes there was sex involved. But for the most part, it was just pure, unfiltered love and adoration on your part.

There was a mission, Wade had said, where it would be best to bring you along. Nathan had argued, long and hard, that you weren’t fit to go on missions. Your powers weren’t of the physical type, and if shit went south, you’d be the most at risk. When he’d made no indication that he was going to stop soon, you punched him in the mouth. “There, if I can hit you, I can hit anyone.”

He had glowered at you, a look that told you you were in for it later, and you didn’t mind one bit. Pushing Nathan’s buttons had become a bit of a pastime for you, considering it always made him a little rougher.

“Cable, Wade’s right. It’s going to be high risk for a panic. Galas always are.”

“We’re going to a gala?” Your face brightened. “The fancy dress and dinner and wine kind of gala?” You were delighted. This would be no problem. You could absolutely stay out of trouble this way.

Galas meant everyone had to go fancy dress shopping, and when you came back from a long day with Domino, your dress hidden in a dark bag, you hung it in the closet you and Cable shared. He kept trying to sneak peeks at it, buy you smacked his hands away every time you caught him. “No, stop. You don’t get to see it until I put it on.”

“So put it on now, so I can see how it looks when you take it off.”

You smacked his metal arm, pushing him away from the closet. “No. You have to wait. And if you touch the dress, I’ll know.”

You weren’t a telepath, but Nathan didn’t doubt that you would know if he touched the dress. You were the same way with your boots. Didn’t matter where you were when he touched them, you always knew. It drove him crazy, if he were honest. A lot of the things you did drove him crazy, and your insistence on going to this gala was one of them.

“You sure you wanna go, doll?”

“And miss out on a chance to wear a fancy dress and drink wine I could never afford? No thanks. Besides, someone is going to have to beat the middle-aged women off you with a stick, so I might as well.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, please, Nathan. You’re man candy and a half, and everyone knows it, too.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means you look good enough to eat, that’s what it means. The last thing I need is some uppity old hag getting fresh with you.”

Nathan snorted, and you stood on tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek. That was the end of the discussion, which you both knew would turn into a fight if you didn’t let it go.

The day of the gala came without incident, and you had packed your dress and shoes along with your makeup, anxious to check out the hotel. You and Nathan had to pretend to be a couple, to make yourselves less suspicious, something you had absolutely no issue doing. For Nathan, though, it was difficult. It felt too formal, too much pressure.

The hotel room was delightful, well decorated, with a plush king sized bed and a balcony. The bathtub was large enough that you and Nathan could both comfortably fit, and the shower looked just as luxurious. “Hey, I’m going to grab a shower.”

“Let me join you.”

“No. Go shower in Wade’s room. I need some lady time. You’ll see me when I’m ready for you to see me.” Nathan looked disgruntled but grabbed his bag and left the room all the same. . You were grateful for the time alone. You didn’t mind being with Nathan all the time, but it was still difficult. For Nathan, you were friends. But from where you stood, things had changed. You were more in love with him than ever before, and it hurt. It hurt for him to be so open and willing to be close to you, but still not as close as you had wanted. You had told him you were okay with being his friend, but it was hard. You weren’t sure if it would ever stop being hard.

The dress was slate grey, long and flowing, with lace sleeves and a neckline, but a keyhole in the lace. It was, for the most part, open backed, the lace leaving a wide breach of skin open. You had pulled out all stops for this outfit, even getting heels for the occasion. You hated wearing heels, but as you strapped them up, you felt beautiful. Your makeup was the final touch, a subtle smoky eye, and a deep maroon lipstick to match your nails.

Stepping out of the bathroom, you found Nathan adjusting his tie. He didn’t look up right away, but when he did, you watched him swallow hard. You offered a shy smile, feeling self-conscious. Something about him always made you feel unsure of yourself, as if he could see right through you. His cybernetic eyes flared orange, and you heard his intake of breath.

“You look fuckin’ stunning.”

“You’re just saying that,” you felt the flush crawling up your neck.

“No, darlin’. I’m not. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

The sincerity in which he said it made your heart skip a beat. You knew you would never be the same as Hope to him, but his words made your chest ache. You had held out hope for so long that his feelings would change, but things had gone exactly as they had. He was still staring at you, mouth slightly agape.

“Nate, stop. You look ridiculous.” You fixed his tie, amazed that he still was starting. “Come on, we’ll be late.”

As you stood, clustered with a few other people, Nathan leaned forward and whispered in your ear, “I knew that dress would look better on the floor.”

“Cable, we can still hear you in the coms, no matter how quiet you try to be,” Ellie snapped. He smirked, and you felt yourself suppress a giggle. Your turned, giving his arm a light squeeze.

“Neena is over there, I’m going to see if she’s found anything yet.”

You grabbed an extra glass of wine and carried it over to your friend. She was in a beautiful cream-colored gown, and she beamed when she saw you. She took the wine, leaning in to kiss you on the cheek.

“He can’t take his eyes off you, Maggie. I think he’s in love with you.”

You flushed scarlet, resisting the urge to turn and look. You already knew he’d be watching you. “So, find anything? What are we even here for?”

“All we were told is that an assassin was going to be at the gala tonight. So honestly, I have no idea what we’re looking for. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see if we get lucky.” She gave you a wink, and you rolled your eyes. Leave it to Neena to want to leave everything up to chance.

“Come dance with me,” Nathan was pulling on your arm, and you turned to look pleadingly at Neena, who did nothing but take the wineglass from your hand and gave you an encouraging smile.

It wasn’t the first time you and Nathan had had your bodies pressed closely together. Hell, it wasn’t even the first time you and Nathan had danced, but something about this felt different. Too intimate for your normal relationship. He didn’t seem to mind at all, instead pulling you flush against him, his human hand splayed carefully across your exposed back. The two of you spun in slow circles across the floor, your head finally resting on his shoulder. He cocked his head to the side, resting his cheek on top of your head, and in that moment, you felt content.

“What perfume are you wearing?”

“I’m not.”

“You smell delicious.”

“Peach tea and tobacco. It’s my body scrub. I have a set. Body butter, too.”

“What’s body butter?” He had asked it absentmindedly, not really caring what body butter was. He just enjoyed the slight thrum in his chest when you talked, enjoyed the way you spoke so softly, as if he was the only person in the room you cared to talk to. He wasn’t far from the truth. If he wasn’t going to ever fall in love with you, a night of pretend couldn’t be too bad. In fact, dancing with him now, it was easy to pretend that he was in love with you. He held you gently, no sign of his usual roughness, no sign of possession.

You parted ways for a bit, both deciding to go and mingle in the event you could find any other information. As the night went on, guests began retiring. There was only a handful of people left, including the X-Force, minus Wade and Colossus, neither of whom would have fit in very well. You could sense Nathan’s eyes on you as you mingled, and when you looked up, you saw him, eyes intent through the smoke in the room. He cocked his head to the side, and you knew immediately it was an invitation.

You said your goodnights, and met Nathan by the door, anxious to get back to your room, to run your hands through his hair before he turned you over and fucked you into the mattress.

The smile you gave him pulled at his heartstrings, and he wondered, with a fleeting sort of panic, if he had fallen in love with you after all. It seemed silly, and he brushed the idea off quickly. It was just a little too much to drink, that’s all. Too much to drink, and the way everyone had been eying you at the gala, looking as though they wanted to eat you alive.

In the hotel room, as soon as the door had closed, Nathan pulled you to him, hands cupping your face as he kissed you. There was something different about this kiss, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. It was full of the same intensity as all his other kisses were, but there were notes of something else, something needy and pleading. You melted into his arms, hands going up to run your fingers through his hair as you kissed, desperate to feel his hands on you, feel him inside of you. It had seemed too long since the last time he had taken you, and you were looking forward to the sensation of him pounding into you.

"Daddy, please," you breathed into the kiss, only to be floored when he shook his head. 

"Nah, baby girl. Not tonight."


	11. Like Lovers Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie gets the feeling Nathan is starting to feel things based on the way he touches her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: SMUT AHEAD. Sweet smut, but smut.   
> Shorter chapter, but there's a lot happening. Next chapter will be longer, I promise.

You were confused. How could he invite you back to the room, kiss you like that, and then tell you ‘not tonight’? You whimpered, eyes pleading. He kissed you again, holding you to him.

“I need you,” you whined.

“Don’t worry, doll, you have me,” his voice was low, and he pulled you further into the hotel room, hands reaching up to gingerly undo the button on the collar of your dress. He took his time, metal fingers tracing patterns into your spine, making you shiver. His hand stopped at your zipper, and he pressed a kiss between your shoulder blades, over the scare you knew was still visible, before he finally unzipped your dress. He helped you take it off, sliding it down your arms and hips, allowing you to use his shoulders as support as you stepped out of the gown.

Clad only in your heels and green panties, Nathan let out an appreciative groan. He stood, but you kept your hands on his shoulders, kissing him before your hands began making swift work of his tie. You were confused, but you didn’t want to dwell on it. There was something about the way Nathan was kissing you, something about his hands on your skin, something different. You undid the buttons on his shirt, slow, making a point to run your finger over the spot where skin met metal. As it always did, it tore a noise from low in Nathan’s throat, a noise that made you scalp prickle with anticipation.

It wasn’t long before Nathan was completely naked. All you had left on were your heels and panties, and you let out a needy wail when Nathan sunk to his knees in front of you, hands resting on your hips, slowly sliding the fabric down your thighs.

“Christ, just rip them,” you urged.

“Not tonight, baby,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to your stomach. “Not tonight.”

You cried out as he dipped his head to your core, his tongue flicking out across your clit, painstakingly slow. He hitched your leg up over his shoulder, lifting you off the floor a bit to deposit you onto the bed. You put your other leg up over his shoulder as his tongue swept long patterns across you, occasionally stopping to suck your clit into his mouth, causing you to arch your back and gasp every time. It didn’t take you long before you came undone under the careful ministrations of his tongue. Usually when Nathan went down on you, he would do so until you were begging for him to stop, sensitive from over stimulation. His hands pushed your thighs farther apart, a simple flex of his fingers telling you to lower your legs. You did so, and arched up into him again as he kissed a steady trail up to your mouth.

He kissed you, slow and hard, as he eased himself all the way into you. You felt yourself clench around him immediately, as you always did when he first entered you. It was an exquisite feeling, one you could never get enough of. Your nails bit into the flesh of his back, pulling him closer to you. You offered him your neck, and felt yourself getting close again as he sucked a spot onto your clavicle.

“Please,” you breathed in his ears.

“Come on baby, use my name,” he whispered in your ear before his teeth closed around your lobe.

“Nathan, please, I need you to move,” you sobbed, your hips rocking upwards to meet his. And move he did. Nathan took slow thrusts, pressing kissed to every piece of skin he could reach. His hands ran across your scalp, down your face, down your arms, your sides. You felt as though he was drinking you in, as if you alone were getting him drunk.

“Come on, darlin’, you’re so fuckin’ close, I can feel you,” he thrust into you harder, and you cried out again. Your nails raked through his hair and down the back of his neck. “Maggie, baby, need you to come for me.”

Your name on his lips was just enough, the way it fell from his lips like a prayer, and you were coming for him again, repeating his name over and over again and your rode out your orgasm. “Nathan, fuck, please, please, Nathan. Nate.”

“One more, darlin’. One more for me. You can do it, I know you can.”

You went to protest, but his hand went between the two of you, immediately finding the spot where your bodies joined. His thumb was stroking your clit, and you felt yourself already nearing orgasm again. Sobs tore through your chest, the pleasure almost too much to endure. “Nathan, Jesus Christ, Nathan, I love you, I fucking love you, fuck, fuck, fuck,” the words were harsh and guttural coming from your throat, and you said them into the crook of Nathan’s neck. Nathan groaned, a couple harder thrusts, and came with you, holding you there in his arms for a long moment before pulling out of you and collapsing next to you, hauling you to his chest again.

“Fuckin’ hell, Maggie.”

“Nathan?” You propped yourself up on one elbow, tracing lazy patterns on his metal arm.

“Hm?”

“You okay?”

“I’m fine, darlin’. Why?”

“You just seem different, that’s all. Come on. I know you packed a cigar or two. Let’s enjoy our balcony.” You kissed him softly, and your heart fluttered at the look you thought he gave you. Surely you were only imagining things. But if you hadn’t known better, you would have said that you and Nathan Summers had just made love. But that would be ridiculous. Because Nathan Summers didn’t do the “making love” thing. At least not with you. Because Nathan Summers didn’t love you, no matter what you hoped for.

You wrapped the sheet around you, turning your com back on. When Nathan procured a cigar, you watched as he did the same.

“Ah, there you are, lovebirds. How was the fuck?”

“Shut up, Wade,” you and Nathan said in unison, sharing a silent smile.

“Well, nobody found any assassins. Ellie and Yukio are here doing some digging, see what we can find out. We’ll keep you posted.”

There was silence on the coms, and you and Nathan stepped out onto the balcony. The night air was cool, and you shivered a bit. Nathan pressed a kiss to your shoulder before lighting the cigar. He stood, naked as the day he was born, out on the balcony, smoking. In the moonlight, you thought he looked something exquisite, and you were watching him as he was watching the sky.

“Uh, guys, there’s some really serious shit you need to hear about.”

But you never had the chance to ask Wade what it was you needed to hear. The sudden sound of a gunshot startled you, and as you opened your mouth to scream for Nathan, all that came out was a panicked shriek. You had never felt pain like it in your entire life. You would have taken a full year of punishment with the belt before you ever wanted to deal with this again. You felt the bullet pierce your skin, felt yourself go down in slow motion.

“Nathan, what the fuck was that?” Domino’s voice was in your ear, sounding far away.

“Someone just fuckin’ shot Maggie!” Hands on you now, lifting your head up, pressing on your stomach. Christ it fucking hurt. It hurt so bad. You tried to open your eyes, tried to look up into Nathan’s face. You managed, but it was brief.

“Nah, baby, you go ahead and rest, don’t try to talk. We’re gonna take good care of you, baby, I promise. Need you to stay with me, darlin’. Need you to stay alive. Come on, baby, please.”

Before you faded out, you thought you had heard Nathan tell you he loved you. So that’s what heaven was. Heaven was all your dreams coming true.

“It was a set-up, Summers,” Wade’s voice wasn’t in your ear anymore, it sounded like he was right beside her. “There was an assassin, and they were here.”

“Spit it the fuck out, Wilson.”

“That bastard took a hit out on her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. I mean, really, I'm sorry. Okay, I'm only kind of sorry. This hurt me to write. Okay, only kind of. Listen, alright. I told you there was going to be a happy ending. I just didn't tell you when. You're gonna suffer first. All good things to those who wait. I love you Maddie, please don't be too mad at me.


	12. If I Never Knew You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan confronts his feelings. Wade confront Nathan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANNNNNNNNNGST   
> If I Never Knew You from the Pocahontas soundtrack. I like Disney. But yeah, angst. Have fun.

Nathan hadn’t slept in three days. Maybe it had been four, he didn’t know for sure. All he knew was that you were still unconscious. And you had been since they got you home. The bullet was out now, all vital organs were fine, it was just a matter of you waking up.

“C’mon, Cable,” Wade nudged him, “Sitting here with her isn’t going to wake her up anymore than shaking her will. Cable shook his head vigorously, jaw set firm. “Dude, you need to sleep. She’ll be alright, I promise. She’s safe here.”

“Need to be here when she wakes up.”

“Did you ever tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“That you were in love with her.”

Nathan shakes his head, and Wade sighs. He isn’t surprised, Nathan was never really one for emotional vulnerability. But he’ll be damned if he didn’t think the older mutant would have said something eventually. It hade been a few months, after all. You’d been staying in his room, and Wade _knew_ the two of you had been having sex. He’d seen the hickeys. The way the two of you had behaved, he’d assumed Cable had finally spilled it. Instead of pushing the issue any, Wade clapped Nathan on the shoulder, leaving him alone with you in the infirmary.

When you wake up, your fingers flex, and something soft brushes your fingertips. You open your eyes, slowly, and find Natahn with his face buried in the blankets, his back curved uncomfortable in the chair he still sat it. You moved your hand, slowly, everything fucking hurt, and rest it on the back of his head. Your fingers combed through his hair, feeling the softness of it, grateful that this was real and not a dream. Nathan woke up, turning his head slowly to make sure _he_ wasn’t dreaming. He looked at you for a long moment, face closed off, though he took your hand in his. You couldn’t tell if he was angry or not, but something seemed different again.

“Thought we lost you there, darlin’.”

“Had a dream I got shot.”

“Oh, fuck, baby.”

You watched his face crumple, a shocking display of emotion, and your heart sank. “It wasn’t a dream, was it, Nathan?”

“No, doll. No dreams.”

“Ian.”

“Took a hit out on you.”

“So it was a set-up.”

Nathan swallowed hard, nodding. He should have known better than to let you go. But if you hadn’t gone, there was a chance whoever he had hired would have come to the mansion, and that meant some of the kids would have been at risk, too.

“It was, yeah. You’re gonna be alright, though. Doc says you should be on your feet in a few days.”

“It fuckin’ hurts, Nate,” you whispered, your eyes screwing shut as you tried to shift your position.

“I know, baby girl. I know.”

He stood up, heading to the sink with a glass that was already full. He dumped it, filling it with fresh water. He handed it to you, before hitting a button on his phone. “She’s up. Yeah. Fine. But be fuckin’ quiet or I’ll take your tongue out and feed it to you.”

He sat down next to you on the bed, metal hand reaching up to the scar on your forehead. It was the first time he had spent any real time with you, and he had been worried you weren’t going to make it through that, either. He could only remember being that angry once before, and that was when he had come here from his own time, ready to kill Russell. To see someone like you, at the complete mercy of some asshole who didn’t fight fairly, it made him livid. And that anger was back now with a vengeance, bubbling away in his stomach and under the surface of his skin. The door flew open, and Nathan shot a warning glance towards the door.

Your friends poured in, and you were grateful to see them. It wasn’t that you weren’t, but you didn’t have the energy to interact with everyone the way you wanted to. You felt someone squeeze your hand, and when you opened your eyes, you were surprised to see Ellie. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t have to. You smiled at her, giving her a brief nod. Ellie never said much, but the two of you had learned to communicate without words, and you realized that this was your family. This group of misfits, dysfunctional as they all were, they were family now, and you loved them.

Your eyes fell back against your pillows again, eyes drifting closed.

“Alright, fuckers. I’ll try to have her up and moving before too long. See if we can get her out of here for breakfast.” Cable gave a pointed look at your guests, and they all slowly began to file out of the infirmary, leaving you and Nathan alone again.

“Thanks,” you whispered.

He grunted his response, and once again you were confused by his behavior. Before you were shot, things were going so well. He had been so sweet, he had been so kind and gentle. It wasn’t like the regular sex you had with him, but it was better, somehow. It felt like there was a connection there, and you wanted desperately to ask him about it, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do so. You were afraid that as soon as you called attention to it, it would shatter, and whatever it was would be gone, crumbled into dust and you’d never know for sure what it even was. You reached out your hand to him, turning your palm upwards so he could take your hand in his. You smiled, soft and apologetic.

“How long have you been sitting with me?”

“Haven’t left.”

“How long?”

“Four days.”

You couldn’t help the look of pain that danced across your face, but Nathan had seen it immediately, and began to fret. “Nathan,” you soothed, “I’m alright. It just hurts that you’ve taken so much time out of your schedule for me. It’s a good hurt. You’re a really good friend.”

Nathan shook his head, and you felt panic rising up in your chest. What was he shaking his head about? Being friends? Being a good friend.

“I don’t want to be friends anymore, Maggie.”

His words stung, more than any slap in the face, or any belt, or any bullet ever could.

“What?”

“Jesus Christ, kid. I love you.”

“What?” You were beginning to feel like a broken record. But there was no way you had heard him correctly. He loved you? That didn’t seem right. He had been so adamant that you were only friends, why would any of that have changed? What changed?

“For bein’ so smart, darlin’, you sure don’t listen. I think you heard me just fine.”

“But you said—”

“I have never been so fuckin’ scared in my life. I thought you were going to die. It gave me some time to think, I’ve been thinking. You’re the best thing I’ve felt in a while, and it took almost losin’ you to figure it out.”

You stared at him, unsure what you were even supposed to say. You had wanted this for so long, but now that you had the option, you weren’t sure you could even do anything about it. You had spent so long being just his friend, you didn’t know if changing the dynamic was something you could do again. But hell, you wanted to. You wanted to be with him more than anything in the world, but this? This was a big step. You had never stopped loving him, not once, but you had gotten so used to things the way they were.

“Nathan, I—”

“Don’t worry about it right now. You just rest. We can talk about it when you’re feelin’ better.” He pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead, and any kind of doubt you had was swept away.

“Cable,” Wade gestured from the door, indicated for Nathan to come with him. Nathan did, kissing you again, promising to be back.

“Get some rest, baby girl, I’ll be back.”

“Nathan.”

“Is this important, Wade?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“I took a hit out on him. I’m sending you.”

“Thank you.”

“I didn’t fucking do it for you, Mr. Time Traveler’s Wife. I did it for her. And I swear to god, if you break her heart, after everything you just fucking said to her, your technorganic shitty alien space virus arm is going straight up your perfectly shaped ass.”

“Excuse you?”

“I’m serious, Summers. If you’re not completely certain this is what you want with her, if you’re not completely certain that you’re going to stay with her, then you need to fucking tell her. She’s okay with being your friend, sure, but you’ve _been_ hurting her. Maggie is so fucking in love with you, and you just. You put her in these positions where the two of you are together but you’re not together, and it hurts her.”

“I do love her, Wade.”

“Are you willing to stay with her?”

“I don’t know.”

“For fuck’s sake. I’ll text you the coordinates.”

Wade threw his hands up in the air, walking away. Wade had a soft spot for you, had since the moment he met you. You were snarky, but under all that snark you were sweet. You wanted the best for your friends, would put them before yourself every chance you could. It was endearing, but Wade had had enough. This time, you were being put first. Even if he was the one who had to make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, if you guys don't give me feedback, I'm taking this where I want to take it. And that is an angst filled hole of distress and suffering. Well, I'm probably going to do that anyway, but hey, whatever.


	13. Girls Your Age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst angst angst angst  
> Okay, so, next chapter is gonna be smutty again. Back to the kinky sex. I have such a hard time writing vanilla sex because I personally don't do vanilla. Anywho. There's no happy ending yet. Not for a while.

Somehow, despite everything that had been said a few days prior, despite everything that had been shared, Nathan was leaving. Leaving X-Force, leaving you. It was the former that hurt the most. You knew he’d leave, but you didn’t want him leaving his friends. Nathan was the type of man who needed people to care about him, regardless of what he said.  He needed Wade, you thought, most of all. Someone to annoy him, but someone who was fully capable of taking the time to be serious if needed.

“You’re kidding, right?” You stood, hands akimbo, glaring at Nathan. “You’ve got to be. There’s no _fucking_ way you’re doing this to me again.”

“I’m too old.”

“I don’t give a fuck how old you are Nathan,” you spat, “I love you. I’m in love with you. I have been since the moment I fucking met you. You can’t just _leave_. It’s not fair.”

“Life isn’t fuckin’ fair, princess, in case you haven’t noticed. You, you’re just a kid. You don’t know shit about shit.”

“I know I fucking love you!”

“You think you love me. That’s all it is.”

“You are kidding. I know you’re not that stupid.”

“I have to go, Maggie.”

“You’re not fucking leaving me. Not again.”

“You don’t get a say in it.”

“No, _you_ shouldn’t have a say in it,” you shoved him. Hard. “You can’t keep fucking flopping like this, you just can’t. You can’t tell me you love me and then tell me you’re leaving because I’m too young and all this other bullshit. You don’t get to just do that to people!’ Your voice shook, and you held on to that anger, hoping that you wouldn’t cry.

“You don’t understand.”

“Oh, that’s sad. Alexa, play Hot and Cold by Katy Perry.”

“What the fuck?”

“It’s an internet thing.”

“You’re a fucking child.”

You rolled your eyes, flipping him off. “And so are you.” You couldn’t believe this. Couldn’t believe that he was really trying to fucking fight with you before he left. You were in the kitchen, and everyone had managed to leave the room, but you were sure they heard everything.

“I want to be with you, Nathan.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Who the fuck are you to tell me what I want and what I don’t want? For fuck’s sake, Nathan, you’re not my fucking father!’

“Had no problem calling me daddy though, did you?”

That did it, you hit him. His cybernetic eye flared, and his jaw set. You remembered what happened the last time you had hit him, right here in this kitchen. And fuck, did you wish it could be the same as it was then.

“You’re really leaving, then?”

“Yes.”

“I won’t wait for you.”

“Never planned on askin’ you too, darlin’.”

“I love you.”

“That’s what you keep saying, yeah.”

“You told me you loved me, too.”

“I was afraid you were gonna die.”

Nathan stared at you, and you couldn’t hold his gaze. The tears were falling freely now, and you knew if you looked at him, you’d just cry more. He took you into his arms, too gently for the cruel words he had just said. You sobbed harder, clinging to him for a moment. “I love you so much, Nathan, please.”

“Later, kid.”

And with that, he pulled away from you and left, leaving you in the kitchen, alone, tears splattering on the tile floor. He was gone. And as much as you wanted to run after him, you didn’t. You couldn’t. Something deep inside of you told you that Nathan wasn’t coming back. Your heart broke at the idea of never seeing him again, but there was something else, too. A kind of freedom that meant you wouldn’t have to continue forcing yourself to be something you weren’t. You might have been his friend, but he wasn’t yours. No, you were head over heels in love with him. And you couldn’t bring yourself to ever try and stop being exactly what he needed you to be.

And that was it. Part of you died that day, and part of you was set free.

 

* * *

 

Nathan had been gone for a year. A whole entire year. Summer came and went. And then autumn did. And then winter. And then spring, and then it was summer again, and as time went on, the ache in your heart slowly went away. Sometimes you would think of him, and the way he held you the night you were shot, the way his kisses were something besides hungry. In those moments you would feel the familiar ache of longing, but it always went the way it came, briefly, with tinges of genuine love flecked through. You still stayed in the room you had shared with him, still needed to feel close to him. After six months, your pillow no longer smelled like he did. After six months, you had started dating again. Jacob was sweet. He was a mutant, but he was nowhere near as powerful as any of your friends were. He was good with numbers. And so far, that’s all he knew. He was good with numbers, but nobody had been able to figure out why that was useful or not. You had sex with Jacob once, but it wasn’t enough for you. You knew that nobody was ever going to make you feel the way Nathan had, and it pained you to know you couldn’t enjoy your time with Jacob.

And things with Jacob had been going good. Five months into your relationship, and things were going great. He had told you he loved you, and he understood and didn’t rush you when you said you couldn’t say it back. You didn’t deserve someone as good as Jacob.

It wasn’t as if you didn’t love Jacob, you did. You just weren’t in love with him. He hung out at the mansion frequently, got along good with all the kids, made dinner for people often, and would babysit if the need arose.

You wondered if he hoped for children someday, and wondered if he expected to have them with you. But you couldn’t imagine having children with anybody. It just wasn’t something you had ever put much thought into. He was tall and lanky, like he had never really grown into his limbs, but he was sweet. He held your hand and bought you ice cream, and it made you feel like a teenager again. The best part, though, was that your friends got along with him. He was constantly trying to beat Domino at games, and sometimes he’d play video games with Russell. He would drink with Wade, and in the mornings he joined Colossus for meditation. They got along, and that maybe hurt more. Because you knew you could never be what he wanted you to be, not in a thousand lifetimes. Your heart wasn’t in the right place.

And it was with Jacob you stood, arms around his waist by the pool, laughing. You had heard the motorcycle, but figured it was just Wolverine coming back to the mansion. You were too busy admitting Jacob to see the looks exchanged amongst the members of the X-Force.

You heard a distinct lack of chatter, and wondered briefly what the big deal was as you brought Jacob down for a kiss.

“Hey there darlin’.”


	14. Guys My Age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie deals with Nathan coming home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Smut. Daddy kink. Impact play. 
> 
> Honestly, it feels so nice to have kinky smut again. I'm telling you, I dread writing vanilla.

As your mind tried to split towards the voice you hadn’t heard in a year, you were distracted by Jacob getting down on one knee. This wasn’t fair. No, you had told him you didn’t love him. You had told him it was okay if he loved you, you told him it was okay if he wanted to be with you, but you didn’t love him back, and you weren’t sure you would in your lifetime.

“Magdalena Marie Fremont, will you marry me? I’m okay if you don’t love me like I love you, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you, beside you.”

“Well, that’s awkward!” Came Wade’s voice. Time seem suspended for a few minutes, as you just stood there, mouth agape. Was this some kind of set up? Had Wade set him up to proposing, knowing Nathan was coming home? You shot him a look over Jacob’s head, and the merc just shook his head, indicating that he had had absolutely nothing to do with the kind of disaster that was unfolding.

“Maggie?” Jacob’s voice, gentle, prodding. His face was hopeful, and you felt bad, knowing what your answer would be. And the fact that he proposed publicly, too, told you he didn’t know you enough to love you.

You hated public proposals. They were rude. If you didn’t know your partner was going to say yes, why do it? It applied too much pressure on the person to say yes. And if they didn’t say yes? Well, then, they were the jerks. You didn’t want to be the jerk this time, didn’t want to break his heart when you told him the real reason you could never love him. You had thought your feelings for Nathan had finally vanished, but just his voice was enough to bring them all roaring back to life.

“C’mon, darlin’, don’t leave the boy hanging.”

 “Nathan!” You cried his name, unable to control anything you were doing. You were running then, and before you knew it, you had slammed into him, hands fisting his shirt and pulling him down to you, kissing him fiercely. You almost expected him to pull away, but instead his arms wrapped around you, crushing you to him. Your tongues fought for dominance, and you couldn’t get enough of him on you at once. You wanted to climb him like a tree, let him take you right here in front of everyone, and judging by how he was kissing you, you imagined that might be what was about to happen.

You pulled away, breathing heavy. “You came back.”

“Nah, baby girl, I cam _home_.”

You could have cried, and suddenly you were overwhelmed with a year’s worth of unsaid feelings and emotions. You couldn’t handle it, couldn’t stand how overwhelmed you felt. Jacob came over then, and you watched as Cable’s entire demeanor changed. He kept a possessive hand at your waist.

“Who’s your friend, Mags?”

“Jacob, this is Nathan. Nathan, this is Jacob.”

“I’m her boyfriend,” Jacob said, and you could feel the tension. Was Jacob really trying to get into a pissing contest with Nathan, of all people?

“That’s cute. I’m her daddy.”

Jacob blanched, and you heard Wade spit out his drink behind you. “Well, fuck! So _that’s_ what was going on. Jesus, kinky bastards. _Hey wait!_ How come Maggie gets to call you daddy?!”

Nobody paid Wade any kind of attention, and you felt the scarlet rising up your neck, splotching across your cheeks. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. Nathan’s fingers flexed against your waist, and you couldn’t help but squirm.

“She’s never mentioned you before,” Jacob said, not missing a beat.

“That’s cause she didn’t want to hurt your feelings, kid,” Nathan was gruff, making it very adamant that he wasn’t going to back down. “Nobody does it like I do, and she was trying to spare you.”

“Funny, I never got any complaints from her.”

Nathan turned on you then, eyes flashing dangerously. “You fuck somebody else in our bed, darlin’?”

“No.” You shook your head.

“No, what?”

“No, daddy. Never in our bed.”

“That’s my good girl,” his metal hand ran through your hair, and he scooped you up, throwing you over his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, kid,” he said to Jacob, “I can take care of it from here.” Nathan hauled you up over his shoulder, and you watched as Wade gave you a thumbs up, watching as you were carried off to the bedroom you had once shared with Nathan.

“Nathan, put me down.”

He swatted you on the ass. “Hush.”

“Nathan, we should talk about this.”

Another swat. “What’d I just say, baby girl?”

You huffed, defeated, but feeling that familiar tingle up your spine. This was what you had been missing, this. And god, how you needed this. In your bedroom, Nathan sat you down on your feet, delicately. You looked at him, and anger rose up in your chest like a snake, ready to strike. And strike you did. Your open palm caught him across the jaw.

“You don’t get to leave me and come back and act like nothing’s changed, you asshole! “

“Maggie, stop acting like a child.”

“You’re not the fucking boss of me!” You snapped. Nathan cracked you across the face. It was hard enough to rattle your teeth, but not hard enough to do anything except send shocks straight to your cunt. You had forgotten how dominant Nate could be, forgot how good it felt to have him strike you. You met his eyes, and drew in a shaky breath. “Hit me again, daddy.”

Nathan quirked a brow at you. You had never asked him to hit you again before. “Same safeword, baby girl?” You nodded, your tongue flicking out across you bottom lip.

“I thought I told you to hit me again.”

And Nathan did, allowing himself to hit you just a little bit harder. He had never hit you with his metal hand, and you never suspected he would. “I thought I told you once before you don’t make the rules in this bedroom. Did you forget that lesson, baby?”

“Fuck you.” You knew you were egging him on, but knew the angry fuck you’d get would be worth it.

“That’s what I thought.” Nathan moved quickly, it always amazed you, and before you could register what was happening, you were sprawled across his lap on your stomach, his metal hand pinning you to the bed. “Sorry, baby. Looks like daddy has to teach you a lesson again.”  He flicked the hem of your dress up, and you heard him growl. “Where are your panties?”

“Wasn’t wearing any.”

His hand came down on your ass, and you yelped. “I know this wasn’t for me, and that upsets me, little girl. What’d daddy tell you, huh?” He spanked you again. You whimpered, wriggling in his lap, hoping he’d spank you again. “Come on, darlin’, use that clever tongue of yours. What’d I tell you?”

“Nobody fucks me like you do, nobody will ever be able to fuck me like you do,” you breathed. You remembered him telling you that, and you remembered thinking he was right. Before you met Jake, you’d had a few one night stands, none of them had ever fucked you even close to the way Nathan did.

He pushed you off his lap, allowing you to hit the floor roughly. You got up on your knees, tugging roughly at his belt.

“What’re you doin’, baby?”

“Wanna blow you, daddy,” you whispered, an appreciative moan slipping past your lips when you finally got his pants undone. A year had passed, and you had almost forgotten how thick he was. You dragged your tongue up his shaft, smirking up at him when he let out a strangled, guttural groan. “Miss me, daddy?” You asked, looking coyly up at him. He grunted in response, grabbing a fistful of your hair and forcing you down until he hit the back of your throat. This, this was what you had missed. Being filled, stretched as far as you could be, around Nathan’s cock. You gagged, and his hips bucked up into your mouth.

“That’s it baby, just like that,” his hand fisted tighter into your hair, guiding your mouth over him before pulling you off completely. “Gonna fuck you now, baby girl,” he whispered, pulling you up only to push your face into the mattress.

You were already soaked, which was a good thing since Nathan didn’t bother with anything before shoving himself all the way into you. You cried out, unused to how big he was. ‘Fuck, Nate, you’re so, ah, big.”

“What’s the matter, darlin’? Didn’t he fuck you like this? Didn’t he fuck you _this good_?”

You couldn’t even form a coherent sentence at that point, just let yourself go, thrusting backwards on to him. His hand came down on your ass again, and you bit back a moan, letting yourself get fucked stupid. But nobody had ever fucked you as good as Nathan. And you could happily die, with him pounding into you.

“Turn me over.”

“You’re not in charge here, doll.”

“Wanna feel your hand.”

And so after a brief separation to flip you onto your back, you stared up at Nathan, his name the only thing you could say. You gripped his left arm, pulling his hand up to your face before sucking two of his fingers into your mouth. You knew he still had feeling in the metal limb, and you watched with satisfaction as he drew a shaky breath at the sight of you. You pulled his fingers back out of your mouth, with a sloppy popping noise, and guided his hand to your throat. You saw the dangerous flash again, and as his hand tightened, you realized the only reason you weren’t dead is because he didn’t want you to be. And god, it made you feel so good.

“Gonna come, daddy, please.”

“That’s it, baby, come all over me. That’s it. Let me remind you who you belong to, that’s it, come for me,” his words coaxed you to orgasm, and shortly after you came, you felt Nathan’s hips stuttering, his human hand squeezing bruises into your hip as he came. “There’s my good girl.” He whispered, simply letting himself relax on top of you. You held him in your arms, breathing heavy, your fingers tracing patterns down his back.

“You’re home.”

“You moved on.”

“Evidently not,” you scoffed. “I don’t think anything that just happened was any kind of indicator that I’ve moved on.”

“He proposed to you. That looked a lot like moving on.”

You rolled your eyes, shoving Nathan off of you. “I wasn’t going to say yes,” you told him sharply.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t love him,” you snapped. “Not that it’s your business or you have any right to know. Fuck, Nate, why do we always end up fighting?”

“You’re fuckin’ infuriating, that’s why,” he huffed, rolling onto his back.

“Yeah, try living with yourself.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why don’t you love him? He seems real sweet on you, Maggie.”

You stared at the ceiling in silence for a long time, and you could sense the tension in Nathan building. You had never given him the silent treatment, only the once, and that had been when you tried pretending you didn’t have feelings for him. “He’s not you,” you whispered finally. Nathan’s intake of breath was audible.

“Does that mean—”

“That I’m still in love with you? No. I don’t know. Maybe? I haven’t thought about it. I didn’t think you were ever coming back. You told me I didn’t want to be with you. So I learned how to be without you. I’m not saying this to hurt you, Nate. I just think it’s better to be honest. I’d want you to be honest with me.”

“What happens now?”

“What do you want to happen?”

“I want to be with you.”

“Nathan, I can’t keep doing this with you. One minute you want to be with me, then you’re gone for a year. For all I know, you’ll be gone in the morning.”

“He’s your age.”

“Jake? Yeah, he’s a good guy. Little too young to be my type, though,” you admitted. “Not enough scars. Not enough, well, metal.”

“Metal?”

“It’s fuckin’ hot, Nate.”

“So now what?” He asked again.

“We start over, I guess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this says it's going to be 22 chapters, and honestly, that was the original plan. But I had some ideas last night, and realized this fic is getting away from me. It's got a mind of it's own, and I've got literally no idea how long it's going to be now. So, it might have more than 22. Guess we'll find out.


	15. Hopeless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie works to put the past behind her, but things get messy when the future comes calling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, if you thought we were only going to be dealing with one universe here, you were wrong. There are too many alternate timelines, too many stories to stick to only one. Especially considering there wasn't really enough in the DP2 movie to go on for an extended multific. But like I said, I'm going to just let this run where it wants to. NO HAPPY ENDINGS YET. Maybe someday. 
> 
> Also, don't ever just randomly google DP2, it's bad. Don't do the thing.

And so, you and Nathan had started over. You had refused to let him move into your room again, refused to let him continue as if nothing had ever happened. You could tell he simply wanted to move past it, but in your heart, you knew you couldn’t. How could you? You had thought you had moved on, but that lazy smile in the mornings, peering at you over a cup of coffee, had changed everything.

Domino and Nathan were chatting, happily so, when you had finally gotten up. You had grown used to sleeping in late, now that Nathan was gone. Before, you were up early, like he was. But you’d gotten used to sleeping it again, and you weren’t about to let it change for anything. You stared at him, still shocked to see him in the kitchen again.

“Morning, baby, sleep well?”

“Shut up. Too early.” You grumbled, fixing yourself a cup of coffee. Neena simply laughed, a joyous, bubbly sound. “You, too, Neena. Too early for your early morning nonsense.”

“Honey, it is past noon.”

“Yeah. That’s what I said. Too early.” You finished your first cup of coffee in record time, before fixing yourself another. “Alright, now what were we talking about?”

“Just asked you how you slept, doll.”

“On my back, Nathan. I slept on my back.” It was a biting remark, one that was out before you intended it to be.

“How long she been this cranky in the mornings?”

“’Bout a year,” Wade said, entering the kitchen in Hello Kitty pajama bottoms. “It’s almost like a lack of robot daddy dick makes you grouchy.”

“Wade?”

“Yes, honey dumpling?”

“Fuck you.”

“Oooh, can I fuck you and daddy at the same time?”

“Maybe.”

“Never in your life.”

You and Nathan looked at each other, equally shocked.

“What?” You asked, shrugging. “He was cute before he got face fucked by an avocado.”

Wade’s eyes went wide, and you sauntered away, bringing your coffee with you. That was two biting jokes in one morning, and nobody could tell for sure if you had been being playful or offensive.

“Jesus Christ, she reminds me of me,” Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

You didn’t know yourself if you had been being playful or rude. All you knew it that suddenly you had to readjust your life all over again, and you hated it. Part of you wanted nothing more than to just collapse in Nathan’s arms, tell him of course you still loved him, of course you wanted to be with him, but you just couldn’t trust him, not after everything. All you wanted to do was trust him again, to begin rebuilding that relationship that you had lost, the one he apparently wanted now. Did it matter, though? You were drawn to him, the way you always had been. You didn’t think you could stay away from him for very long, even if you wanted to. And right now, you really wanted to.

“Are you avoiding me?” Nathan’s voice jerked you from your train of thought, and you looked up from the couch, face blank and unreadable.

“Well, I _was_ avoiding you, but here you are,” you shrugged.

“Why?”

“Why what? Why can’t you ever ask what your asking instead of gruff one word answers?”

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“I am clearly not avoiding you, since you’re here.”

“Stop dodging. What’s going on?”

“It’s just hard to you look at you, Cable.”

“Cable? Are we back to that, then?”

“Well, ‘Nathan’ seems a little bit too intimate for a guy who left me high and fucking dry twice. So yeah, guess so.”

“You were so excited when I got home.”

“I’m still excited your home,” you sigh. “Home means you’re safe. Home means you’re with your friends and people who care about you. Tough guy act or not, Summers, you need friends.”

“But you’re not one of them anymore, are you?”

You scrubbed a hand over your face, shaking your head. “I don’t know anymore.” And that was the honest answer. You didn’t know. You wanted to be his friend again, but you were afraid that being friends would put you back into the same exact position you were in before. “You broke my fuckin’ heart, man. I can’t just pretend you didn’t. I think it’s easier for me to just push you away.”

Nathan didn’t say anything, just looked at you for a long time before leaving again. And so it went that way for a few weeks. You’d push him away, he’d try harder to get with you. You’d push harder, he’d push back just as hard.

You figured out quickly that it was easier to just exist with Nathan, instead of trying to be with him or ignore him. It was easier that way. You were under no obligations to talk to him, and he got to the point where he didn’t bother talking to you, either. You’d just occupy the same space, and that seemed to be enough for the time traveler.

It was on one of those nights where you occupied the same space that you found yourselves sitting out by the pool with him. Everyone had retired for the night, and the two of you sat, not exchanging any kind of words.

“Do you miss her?” You asked suddenly, catching Nathan off guard.

“Who?”

“Your wife.”

“Hope. Yeah, I miss her. It’s not as bad as it was,” Nathan stopped talking.

“But it still hurts?”

You looked over at Nathan to find he was already studying you. His brows were knit together, and then you saw realization sink in. “It hurts because no matter how much time has passed, it’s still love.”

“It’s still love.”

“I’m sorry. For leavin’ like I did.”

“Don’t apologize, Summers,” you swallowed hard, and Nathan turned his eyes away from your face. You only called him Summers when you were trying to put emotional distance between the two of you. “Apologies don’t become you. You’re not the kind of guy who does anything without meaning to. And yeah, I’m gonna say that includes breaking hearts.” You sniffed, wiping tears away quickly. “Will you tell me about her? Her and your daughter?”

“Hope was, well, she was something else. Acted like her mother.”

“Hope was…?”

“Heh, guess I’ve never really explained that one. My wife and my daughter. Both were named Hope.”

“You don’t have to talk about them, Nathan.”

“Thanks, doll.”

You stood then, getting ready to dismiss yourself, but something held you in place for a long moment, the feeling that something different and strange was on its way into your life. You brushed the feeling off, instead smiling sadly at Nathan. You went to walk past him, but when he went to wave, you were unable to stop yourself from reaching out and taking his hand. You trailed your fingertips across his palm.

“Thanks for talking with me, Nate,” and with a gentle squeeze, you were gone again. You settled down into bed, tears streaming down your face. This hurt, too much, for you to continue with much longer. Part of you wanted to flee into the night, act like none of this had ever happened, like you had never met Wade, and therefore, never met Nathan. But you couldn’t do that, and you knew you couldn’t. Leaving without explanation wasn’t your style, and you didn’t think it ever would be. Being left randomly hurt too much, and you hated feeling alone. Your friends were here, you’re weird little family. And leaving Nathan behind meant leaving them all behind.

You didn’t sleep, staying up instead to read. Shakespeare bored you to death, but it was better than the dreams you’d have if you tried to sleep. And when the sun rose, you were down in the kitchen, making coffee before anyone else was up.

“You sleep at all, darlin’?” Nathan’s voice was concerned, and you turned from your spot by the window to peer at him.

“Yeah, I slept great,” the lie came before you could even bother telling the truth.

“You’re an awful fuckin’ liar,” he snorted, pouring himself some coffee. “You havin’ bad dreams again?”

“Hm? No,” you shook your head, “The normal nightmares were replaced with the gunshot ones. Those finally faded out after, I dunno, eight months.”

“How’d you—”

“Get through them? Wade, mostly. Neena sometimes. Wade would come and chat at me until I fell asleep. I’d wake up and he’d be right there, still talking. Neena’d just hold me. She’d play with my hair, and just sleeping next to someone was enough to keep them at bay. Then they just stopped.”

“What kept you up last night?”

“Nathan, please, let’s not.”

“Let’s not what?” He seemed genuinely confused.

“Fight.”

“Who’s fightin’?”

“We will. We’ve been fighting since you got back. All we ever do is fight, and I’m just too tired to keep doing it.”

The two of you stood close together, shoulders touching, but no words exchanged. If you didn’t talk, you didn’t fight. You’d made it through an entire pot of coffee with him when people in the mansion finally began to stir. Neena made pancakes, like she did every Saturday, and you were overjoyed. Nobody made pancakes quite like Neena, who never burnt them and somehow always got them extra fluffy. The doorbell rang as you were pouring a load of maple syrup over top, and you hopped from your spot at the counter. “Hey, I got it.”

You were feeling better, but not much. Nathan was easier when people were around, and things went a lot easier when you could talk to everyone. It almost felt like things had returned to normal. You pulled the door open, shocked by the bright green eyes that stared back at you. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Nathan Dayspring.”

“Uh, no Dayspring here, but hang on. Nathan!” You hadn’t bothered going to fetch him, just turned your head and shouted in the general direction of the kitchen. Nathan came sauntering out, a smirk playing at his face.

“We back to you shoutin’ my name at all hours, babe?”

“This woman here, says she’s your—” You trailed off, turning back to look at the woman on the doorstep. “I’m sorry, who’d you say you were?”

She studied your face carefully, and you felt Nathan move up behind you. He was close enough you could feel the warmth radiating off his body, and you unconsciously leaned a little bit back into him. Her next words caught you off guard, turning the world a hazy green before you fainted.

“I’m his wife.”


	16. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An update from the author.

Hey guys. So, Friday I tripped on the sidewalk. I broke my elbow. It was an olecranon fracture that was displaced. 

I had emergency surgery yesterday morning. My left arm is immobile in a sling. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can. 

Love you all so much. 

-Melly


	17. Sister Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie struggles with what to do next, Nathan doesn't know how to help her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The inspiration for this chapter came from Perfume Genius' "Sister Song". Which was on an episode of Hemlock Grove, and I've fallen in love with it, so there you go. My elbow is still broken, and the stitches are still in, but I can type again. Updates are gonna be slower than normal, since it's still pretty exhausting on my arm muscles to type, but that's fine. I'm just glad I can write again. I've been going crazy. Without further ado and chatter, here you go.

You woke on the couch, head in Neena's lap. She was absent-mindedly playing with your hair, and you struggled to sit up. 

 

"Neena?"

 

"Hey, hon. You're alright, just had a nasty fainting spell."

 

"Nathan?"

 

"She's still here, Maggie, are you  _really_ okay?" She took your hand, giving you a firm squeeze. You nodded, but even as you did, you weren't sure you were telling the truth. You had thought you were going to be okay, but the idea that Nathan's wife was here, in this time, made you ill. You knew what it would mean for your relationship, or your lack of one. Knew what that Nathan would never be yours again, if he was ever yours to begin with. You squeezed Neena's hand back, a thin lipped smile being all you could offer her. 

 

"Yeah, Dom, I'm alright. Promise. I'm gonna go grab a nap. If anyone asks, tell them to fuck right off." You stood, making your way slowly up the stairs to your room. Once upon a time, Nathan shared this room with you. But how long ago had that been? It felt like a lifetime. It was your room now. You sat on the edge of the bed, staring. You didn't want sleep. Didn't know what you wanted. You wanted Nathan, sure. But you couldn't have him, especially not when his wife had come all this way through time to bring him home. It hurt, more than you expected it would. You had always known it was a possibility that this could happen. In the beginning you had expected it, but you let yourself get comfortable with the idea that Nathan really was stuck here. And you loved him, Jesus Christ, how you loved him. But no matter how much you loved him, you weren't going to keep him from his wife. You were a lot of things, but you weren't a homewrecker. If his wife had come to take him home, you'd let him go. No matter how much it hurt. 

 

You stood, a shaky breath matching the unsteadiness in your limbs as you went about your business. You had fished your suitcase out of the closet, and the site of it made your stomach churn. It wasn't just Nathan you were going to hurt with this, it was everyone. But you simply couldn't do it anymore, couldn't let yourself hurt this way. You didn't pack much. A few pairs of jeans, a dress, two flannels, four tanktops, socks, and underwear. Just enough to get you through a few weeks until you could get yourself new clothes. You'd end up staying in a roadside motel for a while, you knew. And that was okay with you. As long as you weren't here, breathing the same air as Nathan Summers, you'd be okay. You didn't bother packing your sneakers, all you needed was your boots. You closed your suitcase, settling down next to it. You didn't feel right leaving without a trace, and decided perhaps a letter was the best thing to leave for Nathan. You wouldn't have to speak to him, you wouldn't have to look at him, you wouldn't have to listen as he tried to convince you that everything would be okay so long as you stayed here, with him. But that wasn't to be the case, and you knew it. 

 

Writing was harder with shaking hands, but somehow you had managed, not bothering with the tears that stained the paper you wrote on. You kept it as short as you could, worried that if you wrote a long goodbye letter, you'd somehow convince yourself to stay. And you didn't want to stay. 

 

You tucked the letter snugly into an envelope, scrawling his name on the front with a flourish. He'd come here to talk eventually, you knew. He always did. Placing the envelope on the pillows gingerly, you made your way over to the bathroom, digging in a drawer for your hair clippers. It had been over a year since you had shaved your head, but it was time for a new start, wherever it was you ended up going, you didn't really want to be Maggie anymore. Not the Maggie you were here, anyway. You couldn't keep the sobs contained as you watched the hair slowly pile up in the sink. This was it, you thought, the last time you were going to be here. 

 

It was surprisingly easy to sneak out of the X-Mansion. You hadn't expected it to be, but you were grateful you had decided to get your own vehicle. The less you had to explain to anyone, the better it would be. For you, for them, for everyone. It felt cliche, driving off into the sunset. But you needed on the road before too late, before people began to come asking why you weren't at supper. It would be Wade first, you thought. He had no sense of space, and he would have just barged in, ready to talk your ear off. But instead of finding you when he barged in, he'd find the letter neat on the pillows. And maybe he'd read it, maybe he would just call Nathan. Either way, you wouldn't be there when it happened. 

 

The drive to Columbus was longer than you had thought, and felt even longer. The sun was already up by the time you reached your destination, and you hoped that meant you were far enough away that nobody would bother coming after you. You had specifically asked that nobody did, but you knew how stubborn they could all be. The motel you pulled into was sketchy, but it would work. At least for short term, until you had a steady job with money coming in. 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

It wasn't Wade who had found the letter, but Nathan. He'd gone looking to explain everything to you, but Neena had told him you'd gone to lay down. His stomach dropped when you didn't answer when he knocked, and he felt panic rising when he tried the door and it wasn't locked. You always locked the door, regardless of whether or not you wanted someone to talk to you. The air in the room felt wrong, and it didn't take Nathan long to realize why. He saw the note, but still checked the bathroom first, feeling the first constrictions in his chest at the hair you'd left behind. He didn't need to check the closet to know your suitcase was gone. The room felt empty, although almost everything was the same. He didn't want to pick the envelope up, didn't want to open it, didn't want to read what you had to say. But Nathan was unable to stop himself, unable to even take a moment to sit down. He noticed right away the tear stains on the paper, but didn't take the time to dwell on them. 

 

_Nathan,_

_I can't. I'm sorry, but I just can't  anymore. It's too much. Tell everyone how sorry I am, Wade especially. Please, don't come looking for me. None of you. Just let me stay gone. That's all I want right now. I wish you all the best, Nathan. And Hope, too. Take care of your family, Nate. Take care of our family. They need you. And you need them. Don't forget, even guys like you need friends. _

_And please don't ever forget how much I love you. I love you so fucking much, Nathan Summers. Don't come looking._

_-M_

 

 

He held the paper in his hand for a while, just staring. Tears stung his eyes, but he didn't want to cry, not now. He had some news to take to everyone else. He didn't get to tell you the woman at the door wasn't his wife, wasn't from his timeline at all. He looked at the room once more, eyes traveling all the places you normally would sit. 

 

"I love you too, kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's so short! I intended for it to be longer, but typing for extended periods apparently pulls on my stitches. I love you all, though!


	18. Gasoline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie gets used to her time away, making new friends, and a job.

You settled down quicker than you had expected in Ohio.  The motel wasnt the cleanest, in fact it was a little bit dingy, but you didnt mind too much. It wasn't as though you couldn't clean it up a bit. The bed wasn't terribly uncomfortable,  and while the TV didnt pick up many channels, you at least got the news, and that was enough for you. 

You ended up with three jobs, and while you were regularly exhausted, you were grateful to be busy all the time. From 2:30-8:00 in the morning you worked front desk at that dingy little motel you called home. You were able to grab a nap between 9 and noon, before going to the video store, where you stayed till 6. 6-9 was reserved for another nap, before heading off to the bar where you served overly intoxicated, rowdy bastards. 

Sure, it wasn't your dream job, but it was enough for you. You worked too much to think about Nathan, and though you occasionally dreamt of him, the dreams were few and far between anymore. 

"Em?"

"What's up, Liv?"

You looked up from your spot behind the counter, flashing your coworker a smile. She was a pretty blonde, soft in all the right places, with a smattering of freckles that made your heart melt. 

"You work tonight?"

"Hm? Where, you mean over at Gregor's? Nah, I'm off tonight. Why?" 

"Wondered if you wanted to, I don't know, catch a movie or something?"

"Are you asking me out on a date, Liv?" You teased, poking your tongue out at her. She tugged gently on the braid that was thrown over her shoulder and glanced down at her feet. "Oh, holy shit, you are. Yeah, yeah, okay. We can do that." You offered her another smile, and chuckled when her face lit up. 

Life in Ohio had been so much easier than life in New York. You weren't Maggie anymore, you were just Em. You weren't a mutant, you were just a young woman running from a past you didnt care to talk about. The best part was, nobody had tried prying into that past.  You were free. 

There was no Nathan,  no Wade. No saving the world. There was Linda, the owner of your little run down motel, Gregory, owner of the bar, and Liv, the pretty clerk at the movie store. 

You didnt know for sure when you had started looking at Liv as more than a friend, as far as you had known, you were straight. But the more time you spent with her, the more you liked her. Liv was a college student, working towards her master's in literature. She'd come over, the two of you would get comfortable on the bed, and she would read to you from whatever she was working on. It ended up being almost a routine, and somehow, in that routine, it had turned to comfort and eventually some kind of feelings.  

It was nothing like it had been with Nathan. The sec wasn't as mind blowing, and the spark wasn't as intense, but you loved her. At least, you were pretty sure you loved her. You loved being with her, you loved pancakes in the morning and holding hands in public, quick stolen kisses over the counter at work. Liv made you feel safe, and she helped you forget that you had ran from so much.  

Eventually,  you'd moved in with her. Her apartment wasn't very big, but you enjoyed living close quarters with her. It was pleasant, having someone always there to listen. It was a boring life, compared to how you lived with the X-Force. It was a pleasant change of pace as far as you were concerned. 

And you had hoped it would stay boring for several years, but that wasn't the case, and like everything in your life it seemed, your world came crashing down. 

"Hey, Em?"

"Yeah, baby?" You looked up at Liv from the book in your lap, brows furrowing at the look on her face. "What's wrong, sugar?"

"Who's Magdalena Fremont?" She held up an envelope,  and you couldn't tell if she was angry or scared. 

"Well, fuck. You should probably come sit down." You closed the book, leaning forward to grab a pack of cigarettes off the coffee table. Fishing one from the pack, you lit it with a shaky hand. "I am."

"What do you mean you are?"

"I'm Magdalena Freemont."

"That doesn't make any sense," her voice was shaky, and you were afraid she might cry. "How can you be?"

"I told you I was running from something in New York, Liv. That's it. That's what I was running from. Myself, I guess."

"So, our entire relationship was, what? Built on a fucking lie?"

"No, it wasn't. I do love you. And you make me extraordinarily happy."

"Not enough to tell me the truth though, right?"

"This wasn't supposed to come back and bite me in the ass!" You snapped. "I really was trying to leave it behind."

Liv threw the envelope into your lap, retreating to the bedroom to slam the door. You started down at the envelope with the flowy script, before exhaling a shaky breath and opening it. 

_Maggie,_

_I don't think you wanted to be found. And I didn't mean to find you. Guess I just got lucky, is all. I'm good for that._

_You don't have to come home if you don't want to. I know why you left, and I get it. But he hasn't been the same since you left. He doesn't sleep much, and when he does, the nightmares are worse. I think you should talk to him, Maggie. Even if you don't stay, you need to talk to him._

_She wasn't his wife, you know. Different timeline or whatever. I don't get it either. But her name was Aliya. She wasn't Hope. He wanted to tell you, but you were gone before he could. He misses you, Mags. We all do. I don't know what you're doing where you are, but your family is here. We all love you, and we miss you._

_With luck, this will find you in good health. And with even more luck, you'll come home._

_-Neena_

You stared at the letter for a while, before setting it aside and knocking on the door to the bedroom, pushing it open. "Liv?"

"What else don't I know?"

"I'm a mutant."

"Excuse the fuck out of you?"

"I'm a mutant. That's what I did in New York. That's why I didn't tell you."

"You could have!"

"Why would I? That's exactly why I left New York! I didn't want to he that person anymore."

"And you didnt think telling me you were a mutant was important?"

"No, not really."

"So what happens now?"

"I have to go back to New York."

"You're kidding, right? After everything,  I find out the truth and you're just going to turn tail and run right back to New York?"

"This has absolutely nothing to fucking do with you," you snapped. "I have to go back."

"Will I ever see you again?"

You moved carefully over to her, cradling her face in your hand, brushing your thumb across her cheek. "Yes. I promise." The lie fell gracefully from your lips, and it shocked you the ease with which they were said. 

Liv chuckled, taking you even more off guard, "Don't keep promises you can't keep, Em." 

You kissed her, a chaste gesture, and left without another word. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not the longest thing, but not mad. I'm really bad at chronological transitions, but it's been about two years since Maggie left. 
> 
> Hopefully more chapters soon.


	19. When We Were Young

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie returns to New York, anxious to see what had changed. As it happens, not much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this has taken so long. I had the splint taken off, they took the stitches out, put me in a cast, and I've been focusing on school work. But! Hopefully I'll be making more regular updates. We're almost towards the end, and thank you all so much for sticking with me.

Not much had changed in New York. 

It still looked exactly how you'd left it. Which might be a good thing. The X-Mansion stood exactly how it always had, but upon arriving you found that there was another one of Wade's legendary pool parties happening. You had found a bottle of whiskey unattended in the kitchen, and stepped out into the bustle of the backyard. You felt out of place here, among people you had known once.

Luckily there was too much ruckus for anyone to take real notice of you, and while you fisted the bottle in one hand, you fingered a cigarette out of the breast pocket of your flannel. Your shorts felt too short, and your boots felt too heavy on your feet. It was as if everything here was out of place. 

You stood there awkwardly, eyes scanning the crowd, looking for anyone you might know. You met Neena's eyes across the yard, and shook your heads slightly, begging her not to acknowledge you just yet. Her eyes flicked off to her left, and you followed her gaze. There, perched on a picnic table, was Nathan. A pretty blonde was draped across him, giggling and kissing at his infected arm. You felt a pang of jealousy. It wasn't your place to be jealous. He wasn't your boyfriend,  he had never been. But seeing him with someone else stung like hell. 

He seemed to feel your eyes on you, because suddenly his eyes locked on to yours, and his cybernetic one flared to life. You felt your chest tighten, and the cigarette smoke you exhaled came in an unsteady burst. 

He brushed the blonde off, making his way slowly over to you across the crowd. You snuffed your cigarette,  sneaking back into the kitchen, knowing he would follow. You climbed up on a counter, feet dangling as you took a long pull from the bottle. 

Nathan walked in, looking like an entire goddamn meal, and as your heart hammered in your chest, you realized nothing had changed at all. You still loved him. 

"Where's your friend, Nate?"

"Where have you been?"

"Ohio." 

"What the fuck were you doin' in Ohio, kid?"

"My girlfriend," you snapped, "Don't fuckin' call me kid."

Nathan looked properly taken aback, eyebrows raised. "Girlfriend? You ran out on me and got a girlfriend?"

"Your fucking wife showed up, Nate. What the fuck was I supposed to do?" Another long pull from the whiskey bottle. You didn't want to make eye contact,  but you needed him to understand just how angry you were. 

"She wasn't my wife."

"She literally showed up, and said she was your wife."

"She wasn't Hope. Aliyah was my wife, but not from the timeline I'm from."

"What kind of fucking time traveler fuckin' bullshit is that, Nate? 'Not from my timeline'. What does that even mean?!"

The two of you stared at each other for a long moment, and in one fluid motion, he had you pulled tightly against his chest, arms wrapped snugly around you. 

"You came back."

"No, Nathan. I came home."

"Why?"

"Neena found me. Sent me a letter."

"What'd you tell your girl?"

You pulled away, shrugging. Another drink ofwhiskey, the burn calming your nerves and steadying your thoughts. "I need a cigarette.  Come out front with me. It's quieter," you made your way to the front of the mansion, Nathan following close behind. "I told her I was a mutant," you said softly, lighting a cigarette. 

"She didn't know?"

"Nobody did. I didn't want to be that person anymore. I left New York for a reason. I left that person behind, too."

Nathan's hand found its way into your hair, stroking it, trying his best to comfort you. 

"Jesus, darlin'."

Silence then, just a peaceful stretch of silence. 

"Nathan?" Your voice was shaky, full of uncertainty.  You weren't sure what you wanted to say, weren't sure how you'd say it even if you knew. Instead, all you settled for was a measly, "I'm glad I'm home."

"Maggie, darlin', look at me."

You tipped your gaze up to meet his, brows furrowing at his tone. He sounded pained, and you wondered what heartbreaking thing he could possibly say next.

"I love you, doll," and before you could even register what he had told you, his hands were in your hair, pulling you roughly to him to capture your lips in a bruising kiss. 

Maybe some things had changed after all. 


	20. Perfect Duet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie and Nate try to settle down into domesticity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Life just keeps hitting me with a freight train. I have bronchitis so bad they thought it was pneumonia! So that's been a lot of fun. Arm is still in a cast, but twelve more days until it's off. 
> 
> Also, if you ever want to talk about this fic, or just get to know me a bit better, you can follow me over on twitch :) Mostly I'll be talking about my future plans for fiction, both of the fan variety and novels, but you'll get to interact with me real time. My username over there is missmagdalynn
> 
> I'm so glad you guys are still sticking with me through this, I love you all so much.

You weren't sure what you were supposed to do. Sure, you had been in relationships before. Healthy ones on a couple of occasions. But your relationship with Nathan had never been healthy, not really, even though there wasn't any physical abuse like with Ian, or lying like there had been with Liv, but it wasn't healthy. 

No lying, no hitting, unless it was in the bedroom, but trying to be healthy was still hard. Up until now, your relationship with Nathan had been some dangerous game. Both of you stepping around each other until lust brought you together again, even when you shared a living space. 

But now, now it was different. 

"Mornin', baby," Nathan's arms snaked around your waist, head resting on your shoulder as he pressed a kiss to your hair. 

"Mm." You didn't turn, just stood there like a fool, muscles clenched and hands shaking. 

"You alright, doll?"

"Sorry, Nate. Just...not used to, well, this," you turned then, gesturing between the two of you. 

"I love you, Mags. Take all the time you need," even his whispers were rough and full of feeling, and you stood on tippy toes to wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him gently. 

"Who the **_fuck_** are you out here sucking face with, Terminator?! Is this who you ran off with so early last night? Well, let's see this homewrecking sonu--"

"Jesus fucking Christ, Wade. Please shut up," you poked your head around Nathan, giving him a pointed look. The intake of breathe from Wade almost reminded you of someone sucking helium, and you couldn't suppress a giggle. 

"You're home! MY PRETTY POODLE BUTT IS HOME!" Wade shrieked, and you gave Nate a confused look. "Move out of the way, Bad Grandpa, I want in on some of this sweet loving," Wade was pushing Nathan out of the way, then, wrapping you in his arms and just holding you. There was none of his usual vulgarity or wandering hands, he simply held you crushed to his chest, breath wavering in such a way that you thought he might be crying. 

"Wade?" Your voice was a pinched whisper, worrying for your old friend for the first time since Vanessa died. 

"I thought I lost you, too, Maggie. I thought I lost you, too," his face was pressed into your hair, and you finally took a moment to consider what leaving had done to your little family. Your eyes went wide then, and you felt your heart break a little. 

"No, sweetie, I'm not going anywhere, never again," your hands ran across his back, and you used your powers to calm the rise of panic radiating off him. 

"Is it true? Is she back?" Russel's voice pulled you away from Wade, and you gave him a sad smile. 

"Wow, kiddo, look at you," you went to Russel, marveling at how tall he had grown after two years. He still carried a fair bit of weight, but he was no longer an awkward teenager, but a confident young man. He hugged you fiercely, and you felt tears sting your eyes. 

"Maggie?" Nathan's voice pulled you from your thoughts, and you saw the worry on his face when you locked eyes. In a moment you were full on sobbing, and you couldn't stop. 

"All I wanted was a cup of coffee!" Was all you could manage, a high pitched keening noise from somewhere in the back of your throat. 

"Alrigjt, darlin', that's fine. Go on out to the back yard, I'll bring you your coffee."

You didn't bother looking back at your friends, just pulled your robe tighter around you, padding barefoot into the back yard. You weren't sure how long you'd been standing in the dewy grass, cigarette held between two shaky fingers. 

"Hey," Nathan's voice soft behind you. "You okay, baby girl?"

"I don't know if I can do this, Nathan."

"Do what?"

"This!" You gestured wildly between the pair of you and then back at the house. "This. I can't be part of a family, Nate. I can't. I don't fit in a family unit. And what about you and me, huh? What the fuck are we even pretending here? All we've ever done is fuck and fight, and when we aren't doing that, we aren't even talking! I come back after two years, and what? We're just gonna pretend to be a normal couple?"

"Nobody is pretendin', baby. If this is something you want as much as me, and Jesus, I want it, then I'm willing to work for it. And those guys? Those fuckin' weirdos in that house? They're already your family, Maggie. They don't care I'd you don't fit. They love you. And y'know what?"

You turned to look at him, certain that you looked as much a disaster as you felt. You inhaled your cigarette slowly, making a point of it so as not to burst into tears again. 

"I love you, too. I haven't been good to you, doll, I know that. You deserved more than that, more than what I gave you. It wasn't fair. And I mean it this time, I really do. For fuck's sake, woman, I love you so much it fuckin' scares me. I can't lose you both."

Your heart stuttered in your chest for a moment, hearing the exact echo of Wade's words. You believed Wade when he said it. There was not a single reason to think Nathan was lying. 

Your free hand slipped into his metal one, and you gave him a thin smile. "I love you, too, Nathan. And...and if you want to try, then I'll try, too," you couldn't look at him for long, feeling those tears sting again. You had been equally at fault for the problems in yours and Nate's relationship, and you hoped that maybe, this time, things could be different. 

He pulled you into his chest, arm wrapping snug around you, coffee held away from both your bodies as he rained kisses down onto your face and hair. 

"This is your home, Maggie. This is your family."


	21. like that

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie and Cable address some things

Things weren't easy. Nathan was right, this was your home. But that didn't change the fact that you had to work hard to settle in. In fact, you spent the first few weeks sleeping in Wade's room. There was no sex, there was hardly even talking. The two of you would sit, and he would just hold you while you cried. You didn't know what it was you were crying for, but you always felt better when you were finished, if not a little tired.

"Are you fucking Wilson?" 

"Excuse me?" You swiveled around in the computer chair you were sitting in in Nathan's room. "Am I what now?"

"You heard me, don't be a brat."

"Oh, right, sorry daddy, I forgot I had to tell you everything."

The two of you made eye contact, and met in the middle of the room in a heartbeat. As soon as you had slapped him, Nathan was on you. His hand was knotted firmly in your hair, and his lips were on yours. "That's right, you little shit, don't you ever forget who daddy is," he forced you to your knees, and you nuzzled against his straining erection for a moment before he pushed you lower. You found yourself face to face with his boots, and whimpered. "What's the matter, baby? You always wanna look at them, watch me polish them. Now lick."

You hesitated before you did as you were told, and the noise Nathan made was enough for you to give a second lick before you were yanked to your feet. Before you could even complain, Nathan was bending you over on the bed and his dick was inside you, causing you to cry out. "That's it, baby, scream for me. Let everyone know just who you belong to."

"All yours, Nate, all yours, please, please, please,  ** _please_**." It was almost too much, this intense pleasure. 

It ended quickly, the two of you sticky and spent. As you crawled up the bed, feeling Nathan's come leak out, you sighed. "We really have to talk, Nate." 

"Could have said that before we fucked," he grumbled, and you couldn't help but laugh. 

"The sex is always great, Cable. Always." You smiled fondly at him, taking his hand when he sat in front of you. "We need to talk about us, what we're doing. I know you said you're willing to try, and I love you for it, but if it doesn't work. You're allowed to want this to be just sex. I hope you know that. If it doesn't work for you, it's okay." You looked up at him, worried that it might blow up into another fight. Nate's eye flashed bright, and then slowly faded back to his natural color. 

"Is that what you want?" His voice was hesitant, and it hurt you to think that you had hurt him. You shook your head furiously. 

"No, no, never. I could never want that. It's just, this has been hard for both of us, I think. Harder than I fucking thought it would be, Nate. I don't know how to be in a family. And I don't think you're used to being in an actual relationship with anyone other than Hope."

"But you're not Hope."

"I know that!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake--That's not a bad thing, you fucking lunatic," Nate's tone bordered somewhere between amusement and frustration. "I know how to be with Hope. But you're not hope. I don't know how to be with you, but I'm willing to learn, because this is what I want from our relationship. I want you. You and me, babe. However you want it." 

"I'm in love with you, Nathan."

"Yeah, babe. I know. I'm in love with you, too."

"Even if I'm not Hope?" The question appeared to slap him in the face, though you hadn't meant it to be that way. His brow furrowed, and you couldn't help but frown. "Nate, I'm s--"

"Especially because you aren't Hope," he whispered. 

It wasn't the answer you had been expected, but it set your heart fluttering into a mess, and you knew this was the first step to normal. You didn't want Nathan to forget his wife and daughter, but knowing that he was willing to view you as your own being was a start. "I love you, Nathan Summers."

"I love you, too. Now, before you run off again. Would you like to stay for dinner?" 

Wade threw open the door, shit-eating grin plastered to his face. "Fuck dinner, would you like to stay forever?" 

"Wilson, when I want to ask her that question, I will, but until then, fuck off." 

"EEK!" Wade was hopping up in down in place, "He said WHEN, Maggie, not IF, but WHEN! Cable wants to have your babies! I have to tell Colossus!" And with that, Wade was speeding off down the hall, laughing. 

"What the ever loving fuck did you do to him while I was gone?" You asked, locking eyes with Nathan before laughing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! I am so so sorry about how long this took. I'm not homeless anymore! I still stream on twitch. My elbow is no longer in a cast, but the scar is gnarly and I love it. 
> 
> I really am sorry about how long this took, and I just want to say thank you to those of you who have been waiting patiently for me to update. I'm close to the end of this story now, and I think there'll only be two more chapters. Two or three, anyway. Maybe four, because the drama isn't over yet. But SOON, they'll be happy soon, I promise.


	22. Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie gets some important news.

You were late.

You were fucking late.

By about two weeks. Part of you had initially called it up to stress, but you still had Neena go out and buy you a test, just to be sure.

"Babe, you been in that fuckin' bathroom for an hour. Unlock the door and tell me what's wrong, or I'll kick it in and find out myself." Nathan was agitated, you had been distant since you realized, nervous to tell him what you thought the problem was. You stared at the stick in your hand, slowly unlocking and opening the door.

"Is that..."

"Yes."

"And you're..."

"Yes." You handed him the test, your handling spreading protectively over your stomach.

"You're pregnant."

"I am."

"It's mine?"

You laughed, a bitter, sad sound. "Who else?"

"I'm going to be a father," he whispered, and with a ginger hand, he reached out and placed his hand over yours, a small smiling on his face. "I'm going to be a father."

"You're not angry?"

"Baby girl, how could I ever be angry?" Nathan looked hurt, falling to his knees in front if you. He moved your hand, pressing a gentle kiss to your stomach. He looked up at you, his face so full of radiant love that you couldn't help but cry.

"We're going to be parents, Nate. It's not just about us anymore."

"Then, while I'm down here," Nathan reached into his pocket, fishing out a small ring. "Will you marry me, Magdalena Freemont?"

"This isn't a funny joke, Nate..." you warned.

"Not a joke. Darlin', marry me."

"Okay, alright. Yes," your breathing was shaky, and you were on the brink of tears again. Nathan rose back to his feet, arms slinking around your waist as he pulled you to him.

"I love you," his voice was tight, like he himself was on the verge of tears. "So fuckin' much, doll. And I'm gonna love her, too," he said, glancing down at your stomach.

Through a tear choked laugh you asked, "How do you know it's a girl?"

"Trust me, darlin'. And I hope she looks like you. My head wouldn't look great on a girl's body."

"Nathan, you're unbelievably handsome, she would be lucky to look like you." You stood on tippy toes and kissed him on the nose. "We should probably, you know, tell everyone."

"Or we could celebrate," Nathan murmured, dipping his head down to nibble at your jaw.

"I like that idea."

You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him into a searing kiss. "Okay, daddy," you muttered, "show me how happy I make you."

"Will do, doll. Will fuckin' do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys SO MUCH for being so patient. After this chapter there's only going to be two more. The next chapter is just going to be straight smut because I'm pretty sure Nathan loves the idea of his lady being pregnant. 
> 
> Love and kisses.


End file.
